Izvor: N1 televizija, 24.Maj.2018, 09:02 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
Policeman punished for night destruction in Belgrade
A police officer received a five-month suspended sentence for not responding to citizens’ calls during night destruction of several objects in central Belgrade.
The officer on duty in the night between April 24 and 25 2006, Goran Stamenkovic, made a deal with the Prosecutor’s office pleading guilty for “unconscious work” and became the only person responsible so far for the incident that triggered massive protests in Belgrade.
Over three years ago, a night after >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << the general elections overwhelmingly won by Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), several men wearing ski masks demolished some objects in the Hercegovacka street.
The area borders the “Belgrade Waterfront” the most famous SNS’ construction project done in cooperation with an Arab company.
The partners from the United Arab Emirates have a majority of ownership in the project, and some lawyers and experts have been warning that Belgrade and Serbia will lose money in this joint venture.
Masked men who have not been identified since then, taking mobile phones from the citizens in the street, maltreated them, while police did not react despite the people’s repeated calls.
The incident drew public attention, and the then Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic established those police officers on duty that night were ordered “from the top” not to act.
His report also showed that Nikola Ristic, the chief of Communal civilian police did not tell the truth when testified that citizens did not call his service.
The Belgrade institution and services were also said to have neglected their duty, and the then Prime Minister Vucic blamed the highest city’s authorities for the destruction.
Some of the owners are still saying the demolition was illegal since their objects were either legalised or in a process of legalisation.
However, the authorities say they were illegally built and had to be pulled down.
Vucic said at the time that “only idiots could do that overnight,’ adding that if he was doing that it would have been at daylight.
The incident triggered massive protest of citizens who demanded that the Mayor Sinisa Mali resign and all responsible brought to justice. The rally went on and off for over a year, producing no results.
