Attorney: Belivuk Indictment Sidesteps Political Elements

Veljko Belivuk during a raid (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

The investigation into Veljko Belivuk’s criminal organization remained perfunctory and deliberately narrow in focus, attorney Ivan Ninic said on Jan 5. He added that, as a result, its findings will not involve any possible connections to the authorities or politics, which, in turn, shows that Serbia does not have any public prosecutors with integrity or the freedom to act independently.

“Both the initial, prosecutorial [phase] and the second, judicial phase of the proceedings have, from the outset, been unfolding along two separate tacks. One is, quite obviously, centered on the media and propaganda, [and entails] an aggressive narrative created and channeled by the authorities, while the other is somewhat more formal and institutional. On the whole, [the proceedings have] devolved into a tangled mass of information, disinformation and horrific discoveries,” Ninic told the latest issue of the NIN weekly.

The attorney, who is representing the aggrieved parties in the proceedings against Belivuk, explained that the court has been tasked merely with passing a verdict within the boundaries of the indictment, which cites the murder of seven people.

“This, too, can be the result of direct influence on the prosecutor – to prevent [the investigation from] going deeper and farther – but may also be the result of the prior poor achievements of the security services and the police,” Ninic said.

Commenting on President Aleksandar Vucic’s claims – made six days before the charges were officially penned – that the indictment would be “a masterpiece”, Ninic stated that the announcement itself represents “an authentic confession that the document had indeed undergone a thorough inspection and cleansing from any political elements” prior to its publication.