Alta bank (Photo: Printscreen/Youtube)
The non-governmental Kareja Institute for Investigating Corruption has filed a criminal complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime accusing the management of the Elektroprivreda Srbija (EPS) public power utility, caretaker ministers Sinisa Mali and Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic and Alta Bank steering committee president Davor Macura of enabling the bank to fraudulently obtain RSD430 million from EPS’s Belgrade customers.
According to the criminal complaint, which Kareja provided to BETA on Nov. 2, EPS’s management is suspected of choosing to transfer the utility’s Belgrade collection account from the Treasury Administration to Alta Bank at some point prior to June 1, 2025 – even though the Treasury’s services were free, while Alta charged RSD30 per transaction.
Given that EPS has some 900,000 customers in the capital city, the amount Alta Bank garnered over 16 months since the switch is roughly estimated to RSD430 million.
Based in Pancevo and composed of former police officers and retired inspectors, the Kareja suspects EPS management of abusing office, while Finance Minister Mali and Mining and Energy Minister Djedovic Handanovic are accused of failing to perform due diligence regarding the public utility’s financials. Alta Bank steering committee president Davor Macura is, meanwhile, cited on suspicion of participating in arranging the EPS deal so as to provide his bank with illegal monetary gain.
In the early hours of Nov. 1, the National Bank of Serbia revoked Alta Bank’s operating license and initiated bankruptcy proceedings.
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