Dragana Marković, director of the Tax Administration, who has held the position since 2015, is facing allegations of damage to the state budget, illegal VAT refunds, and pressure on business owners, according to unofficial information and reports received by the Slavija Info newsroom.
According to sources cited by the Slavija Info newsroom, Serbia’s budget has suffered losses of at least €200 million over the past several years. There are also suspicions that a large portion of this money ended up with the director and her associates.
Alleged Blackmail Through Tax Audits
Sources claim that the mechanism was simple: the director allegedly ordered targeted tax audits intended to put pressure on taxpayers. Those who found themselves in her sights were reportedly forced to build her a villa, pave roads, install video surveillance systems, and construct a fountain with a roundabout in Pavlovci. They allegedly also furnished her apartment and bought ornamental plants worth several hundred thousand euros, while the largest sums, according to the allegations, had to be delivered in cash. Taxpayers who were unwilling or unable to pay were reportedly issued strict tax assessments, most often without any legal basis.
“Those who refused to comply and were unwilling or unable to pay her rate ended up with draconian tax assessments, most often without any legal basis whatsoever,” a source close to the investigation cited by the newsroom stated.
Property: Real Estate from Dedinje to Dubai
The assets Dragana Marković allegedly acquired are estimated to be worth tens of millions of euros. According to sources, the properties are registered in the names of her daughter and her son-in-law’s company, whose revenues allegedly increased by several million euros and which was never subjected to a tax audit during her tenure.
The list of assets mentioned includes:
- A 273-square-meter apartment in Dedinje, on Neznanog junaka Street;
- A villa with a swimming pool in Pavlovci and a private lake near Ruma, whose size can reportedly be seen in an aerial photograph (the village of Pavlovci near Ruma, a villa and plot valued at approximately €1.5 million);
- An apartment in Montenegro (Portonovi);
- An apartment in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).
The village of Pavlovci near Ruma, a villa and plot worth €1.5 million; Photo: Slavija Info
Daughter’s Employment and Vehicle Fleet
According to the newsroom’s allegations, the director’s daughter does not work anywhere and is registered as an employee through personal connections at the Savski Venac Municipality, where she allegedly receives a salary and social security contributions despite not showing up for work. She has reportedly been seen in a white Porsche Cayenne worth approximately €100,000, which was photographed with Belgrade license plates. A Range Rover, another Porsche (Macan), and the director’s latest Mercedes are also mentioned. According to the allegations, the director used three official vehicles for years. Until a few days ago, those state-owned vehicles were parked outside her building in Dedinje every day.
Associates Mentioned
Smiljana Balsić and Nenad Krtolica are named as her main associates. Balsić, formerly the director of the largest Belgrade branch and now retired, was allegedly retained as a special adviser, while the director reportedly secured her the position of chairwoman of the Management Board of the state-owned bank Poštanska štedionica.
Nenad Krtolica, described in the article as someone with an alleged criminal record in police files, headed the Tax Audit Sector for 12 years and is now retired. According to operational information cited by the newsroom, he allegedly invested money acquired through years of corruption in real estate in Vienna, where his son currently lives.
Alleged Removal of Documents in Zemun
According to reports from inside the building, there has been unrest over the past three days at the Tax Administration’s headquarters in Zemun. The director has reportedly shut herself in her 200-square-meter office with her closest associates. The office has a private bathroom, a terrace overlooking the river, and a room with a secret passage. In the evening hours, documents that could incriminate her are allegedly being destroyed.
According to the allegations, eyewitnesses claim that her daughter personally drove a car to the rear entrance so that bags containing the remaining documents could be taken out during the night. The SUV allegedly belonging to the daughter, a Porsche Cayenne worth €100,000, was reportedly filmed last night in a residential garage in Belgrade, while the bags were allegedly thrown into a public dumpster.
The question is whether the relevant authorities will act before evidence of the alleged €200 million loss is destroyed. They are also being urged to examine the possibility of dismissing the director and establishing her criminal liability.
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Source: Slavija Info Foto: Tanjug/Strahinja Aćimović
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