Serbian Ex-Minister of Trade and Construction has been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged corruption linked to a railway modernization project, including the renovation of Novi Sad railway station that was a key site of deadly disaster triggered mass protests in the country.
Serbia’s Special Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime has ordered the arrest of Tomislav Momirović and five other suspects in connection with the reconstruction of a railway station whose roof collapsed last November, killing 16 people and a mass protest movement that has shaken the Serbian government. One more seriously injured person is still in hospital.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office stated that the arrests were the result of efforts by the Task Force investigating financial flows related to the project “Modernization and Reconstruction of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway Line on the Novi Sad–Subotica–State Border (Kelebija) route.”
It also added that former Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic and four more people are under investigation.
Momirovic resigned as Trade Minister on November 20, 2024. He was Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Minister from 2020 until 2022, during the time when Novi Sad railway station was reconstructed and then reopened in time for the 2022 elections.
The six are suspected of allegedly inflating invoices from a consortium of the two Chinese companies - China Railway International Co and China Communications Construction Co - who were given the task of reconstructing both the railway station at Novi Sad and tracks, the statement said.
They are suspected of damaging the state budget by $115.6 million, the statement said, and also said that by inflating invoices the Chinese consortium benefited by $18.8 million, but gave no further details.
In December 11 people, including Momirovic's successor Goran Vesic, were detained on suspicion of committing a criminal act against public safety.
Months of protests across Serbia following the roof collapse, including university shutdowns, have rattled the rule of President Aleksandar Vucic, a former ultranationalist who converted to the cause of European Union membership in 2008.
The protesters, who blame corruption for the disaster, demand early elections that they hope would remove Vucic and his party from power after 13 years.
They accuse Vucic and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms. Vucic denies the accusations.
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customer...
Turkmen authorities announced that the next summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will take place in Turkmenbashi’s Avaza National ...
A court hearing scheduled for 30 December in the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan has been postponed for an indefinite period, A...
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike has eased immediate tensions but exposed deeper divisions between the two Gulf...
Train services through the Channel Tunnel were suspended for much of Tuesday after a power supply failure, causing long delays and leaving thousands s...
The year 2025 was marked by widespread protests and civil unrest across multiple regions, as citizens took to the streets to voice anger over political decisions, economic pressures, governance failures and social inequality.
Protests over alleged political pressure on universities drew thousands of students and civic activists to Novi Pazar, Serbia, on 21 December, with demonstrators opposing disciplinary measures against students and academics involved in earlier protests.
Plans for a $500 million Trump Tower in Belgrade have been cancelled after protests and a legal investigation. The project, backed by Jared Kushner, former White House adviser, was halted after Serbian prosecutors indicted officials over removing the site's cultural heritage status.
Serbia’s parliament has adopted a 2026 budget that sets a 3 % deficit and reserves 164 billion dinars (about $1.6 billion) for a potential state takeover of oil firm NIS.
Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and former Chelsea Football Club owner, has assembled a “top tier” legal team, including a former White House advisor, as he prepares for a legal battle in Jersey.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday praised the country’s armed forces as “invincible warriors” during a year-end ceremony honouring the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, held in the coastal city of La Guaira.
Iran successfully launched three satellites on Sunday using a Russian Soyuz rocket from Russia’s Far East, marking the latest stage in growing Iran-Russia space cooperation.
Türkiye on Sunday denied reports that a Turkish Airlines passenger flight diverted from Libya due to fears of retaliation following a Libyan military delegation plane crash near Ankara.
Torrential rainfall across southern and eastern Spain over the weekend has left one person dead and two others missing, authorities said on Sunday evening, as overflowing riverbeds swept away vehicles and officials urged residents to stay indoors.
Bulgaria is preparing to replace its national currency, the lev, with the euro on 1 January, a long-awaited move welcomed by businesses but viewed with scepticism and anger by some citizens.
Organisers in New York have successfully completed a test run of the Times Square New Year’s Eve crystal ball, less than 48 hours before the annual countdown celebration.
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes, police said.
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike has eased immediate tensions but exposed deeper divisions between the two Gulf allies over Yemen, Sudan and regional influence.
Train services through the Channel Tunnel were suspended for much of Tuesday after a power supply failure, causing long delays and leaving thousands stranded during peak New Year holiday travel.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment