Stories

Fertilizer factory in Pančevo exploited and abandoned
Politika: Mystery owner faced with closing
Novosti: Investigations are in place, ownership is still questionable
Urbanism to the wishes of investors
Keramika: Fragile laws, decorative rules, and a collage of issues
Consequences remained, no criminal offences

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Fertilizer factory in Pančevo exploited and abandoned

No one was prosecuted in relation to the contract potentially detrimental for the budget of Azotara, and the factory went bankrupt in September 2018. The only court proceeding launched for trading in subsidized fertilizers, which was allegedly to save Azotara, has lasted for five years, while the proceeding in relation to privatization has been in the investigative stage since 2012.

Politika: Mystery owner faced with closing

Even though institutions did their best in the course of years to establish who controls 50% of stake in the Politika, owned by the Moscow-based East Media Group, the public has not received any answer yet. Centre for Investigative Journalism of Serbia has discovered that the procedure of closing of the Russian company was launched in September.

Novosti: Investigations are in place, ownership is still questionable

Two prosecutors’ offices are examining allegations of irregularities in the privatization of Company Novosti, from 2010 and 2011. Both procedures are still in the pre-investigation phase. Three connected companies, which businessman Milan Beko controlled at the time of the purchase of shares, still own 62.4% of Novosti, although the Securities Commission confirmed in 2011 that it was a violation of the law

Urbanism to the wishes of investors

The regulations that the authorities of Serbia and its capital Belgrade have adopted on several occasions brought only the benefit to investors who have planned urban projects and commercial complexes at the most attractive locations in Belgrade, such as nowadays Belgrade Waterfront. While domestic businessmen openly talk about the necessary support of the state for such urban projects, the Anti-Corruption Council and experts warn that adapting regulation to the wishes of investors is harmful.

Keramika: Fragile laws, decorative rules, and a collage of issues

The ceramic tile factory from Kanjiža operated successfully for 22 years. Personal interests and conflicts of leaders, as well as failure to react on part of persons in charge caused the company’s wallowing in debts, followed by a range of complicated transfers of claims and ownership; finally, Keramika was taken over by companies one of which was connected to Milan Beko. The factory has recovered and nowadays operates well, but few persons have been held accountable for the disputable matters from the past

Consequences remained, no criminal offences

Even though the picture is created in the public that the 24 “disputable” cases of privatization have been solved, CINS discovers that only a half of these cases got their epilogue before institutions, with guilty verdicts in but two cases