HAS JORGOVANKA’S PASSPORT BEEN CONFISCATED? National Bank Governor banned from leaving the country over Alta Bank money embezzlement case!

According to unofficial information published by the Puls Šumadije portal, the passport of National Bank of Serbia Governor Jorgovanka Tabaković has allegedly been confiscated, and it is believed that such a measure could be connected to the Alta Bank scandal.

So far, there has been no official confirmation that her travel document has been confiscated or that she has been banned from leaving Serbia. It has also not been confirmed that a criminal investigation has been launched against Tabaković.

Nevertheless, her name has already appeared in the documentation of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime in connection with the Alta Bank case, whose owner, Davor Macura, was arrested on suspicion of unlawfully misappropriating approximately 45 billion dinars, or around 390 million euros.

How were almost 390 million euros allegedly siphoned out of Alta Bank?

According to the investigation order, excerpts of which were published by KRIK, prosecutors suspect that Macura, with the assistance of two employees, misappropriated money from the bank between the beginning of 2020 and the end of October 2026.

It is suspected that approximately 17 million euros were physically removed from the vault without being recorded in official documentation.

A much larger amount, around 370 million euros, was recorded, according to the prosecution, as revenue from the “Alta Pay” exchange office, even though the money allegedly never reached the bank’s central vault.

Macura and his two suspected associates have been remanded in custody. Macura has denied guilt.

What did Jorgovanka Tabaković know about the bank’s operations?

One of the key questions raised following the outbreak of the scandal concerns the responsibility of the National Bank of Serbia, headed by Jorgovanka Tabaković.

As reported by Nova.rs, warnings about the possible siphoning of money from Alta Bank emerged several days before the central bank decided to revoke its operating license.

Economists and interviewees speaking to the portal questioned why supervision had not intervened earlier and whether the relevant officials at the NBS had information that could have prevented the situation from deteriorating further.

Particular attention was also drawn to a statement by four NBS vice-governors, who called on prosecutors to investigate the possible criminal liability of employees at the central bank.

According to Forbes Srbija, the vice-governors were not all informed in a timely manner about the scale of the problems at Alta Bank.

BIRN uncovers serious shortcomings in oversight

According to an investigation by BIRN, reported by N1, Alta Bank declared nearly 60 billion dinars in cash at the end of September, or more than half a billion euros.

Huge amounts of cash were also visible in earlier financial reports, while the bank experienced liquidity problems during 2026.

Particularly concerning is the information that, one day before revoking the license, the National Bank of Serbia instructed Alta Bank to count the cash in its vault itself, giving it three working days to complete the task.

According to BIRN’s findings, the inspection was carried out on the basis of documentation, without an on-site visit to the bank.

These details further raise the question of how problems of such magnitude could have escaped the attention of banking supervisors.

Transfers of money abroad are also being investigated

The Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime announced that it had requested information from the NBS on October 27 regarding Alta Bank’s transactions with foreign countries.

Additional information was subsequently requested about currency conversions and outflows of funds, while the police were instructed to examine the bank’s operations and the conduct of responsible officials at the National Bank of Serbia.

Lawyer Ivan Ninić had previously raised concerns about suspicious money transfers to Moscow and Skopje, and these allegations need to be examined as part of the investigation.

It has not been confirmed that the entire disputed amount was taken out of Serbia, nor has it been established where the money is located.

Governor among witnesses in the investigation

According to KRIK, the order issued by the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime states that Jorgovanka Tabaković, as well as Darko Stamenković, director of the Banking Supervision Department, must also be questioned.

This, however, does not mean that the governor is suspected of committing a criminal offense.

While investigators seek to establish how money worth almost 390 million euros was allegedly misappropriated from Alta Bank, the public is still awaiting answers about the role of banking supervision, possible failures by the competent institutions, and the fate of the bank’s clients’ funds.

Under these circumstances, unconfirmed information has also emerged regarding the alleged confiscation of Jorgovanka Tabaković’s passport.

Whether such a measure has actually been imposed, as well as whether there is any direct connection to the Alta Bank investigation, remains to be confirmed by the competent authorities.