Branko Cecen (BETAPHOTO/MEDIJA CENTAR BEOGRAD)
Journalist Branko Cecen, the head of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS), told BETA on Oct. 26 that he does not expect the authorities to launch a fight against crime and corruption because the previous cabinet with Ana Brnabic at the helm had all but destroyed the citizens’ trust in institutions, adding that 86 percent of the people would not even report corruption.
Cecen said that the Serbian government is responsible for the fact that 84 percent of the nation is convinced that corruption greatly affects the society at large.
“All anti-corruption mechanisms have been dismantled and rendered meaningless. The Anticorruption Agency has a director who, after the Krusik affair was revealed, instead of holding a press conference to explain how [the agency] will investigate the matter, didn’t even pick up his phone,” he said.
According to him, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic came to power promising to fight corruption and organized crime, but that now his regime actually protects organized crime.
“This same man, from the position of absolute power, now generates such astonishing, blatant and unrestrained corruption which turns all the important wheels within the society, while his elite and he stand guard to organized crime,” Cecen added.
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