Train station catastrophe in Belgrade leads to apprehension of eleven individuals
A series of arrests has been made in Serbia following the collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people. The disaster has sparked widespread protests and political fallout, and has led to an investigation into corruption and poor oversight.
The collapse is widely blamed on corruption and poor oversight, with the public prosecutor's office for organized crime opening a probe into the corruption aspect of the case in February. The investigation has since intensified, and on Friday, 11 people, including a former minister, Tomislav Momirovic, and a former acting director of the state-run Serbian Railway Infrastructure company, Nebojša Šurlan, were arrested.
The accused parties in the corruption investigation include Momirović, Vesić, Šurlan, and eight other unnamed individuals. Prosecutors allege that these individuals enabled the Chinese company China Railway International and China Communications Construction (CRI-CCC) to overcharge more than $1.2 billion for the work and to carry out additional work valued at more than $64 million, resulting in an illegal financial gain of over $18 million for CRI-CCC.
The two former ministers, Momirović and Vesić, are accused of causing approximately $115 million in damage to the state budget through corrupt practices in the project. Another former transport minister, Goran Vesić, was wanted in the case but was hospitalized on Thursday. Vesić underwent emergency surgery on Friday.
The construction project was a joint venture between CRI-CCC, China Railway International, France's Egis, and Hungary's Utiber. The concrete canopy of the newly renovated station in Novi Sad collapsed, leading to the tragic accident.
The investigation into the accident and deaths was opened by the public prosecutor's office in Novi Sad. Thousands of people rallied in new protests late on Friday in several cities, including the capital, Belgrade, to commemorate nine months since the accident. The protesters called for a transparent investigation and early elections.
One protester in Novi Sad described the protests as a "fight against the system, for which human lives are worth less than the amounts thrown around in the public tenders." The protests have been growing across Serbia, with some bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets.
The arrests and investigation have been met with widespread support from the public, who have been calling for accountability and transparency in the construction project. The case has highlighted the need for better oversight and regulation in public works projects, and has sparked a national conversation about corruption and its impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.
References:
- B92
- N1 Info
- Politika
- Deutsche Welle
The investigation into the train station collapse in Novi Sad has revealed allegations of corruption and overcharging, leading to the arrest of several individuals, including former minister Tomislav Momirovic and Nebojša Šurlan. (politics, general-news)
The widespread protests and public support for the arrests in Serbia indicate a call for accountability and transparency in public works projects, as well as a national conversation about the need for better oversight and regulation to protect citizens from corruption. (crime-and-justice)
