Former Minister Rade Basta Arrested over Suspicion of Siphoning Money Out of Public Utility

Rade Basta (BETAPHOTO/Ministry of Economy/ Zoran Vujasinovic)

Former minister of the economy Rade Basta has been arrested by order of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade on suspicion of having siphoned tens of millions of dinars from the Beogradske Elektrane public heating utility while he was the director of that utility enterprise, Serbian public service broadcaster RTS reported on Nov. 11.

Basta is suspected of giving ungrounded donations to various sports clubs, including small football and basketball clubs and one equestrian club. Members of the Anti-corruption Department are searching premises in an ongoing operation.

Rade Basta held the post of minister of the economy from October 2022 to 2023, when he was dismissed. That took place after he demanded that the government “urgently decide on introducing sanctions against the Russian Federation for aggression against Ukraine.” Following the dismissal, he formed the European Path movement. He took the post of minister as a member of the United Serbia party, which also demanded his dismissal from all party and public posts he had been nominated for by the party, because of the statement about imposing sanctions on Russia.