“THEY ASKED ME TO SAY THAT I TESTIFIED FALSELY”: Olgica has been enduring torture for months because she will be on the student list in Bajina Basta!

On the eve of local elections in Bajina Basta, the harassment of citizens who will be on the student list has begun, announced lawyer and council member in the Uzice City Assembly, Radovan Novakovic. Among them is Olgica Petrovic, a manager of a branch in the Public Utility Company “September 12th.” In a statement for Nova, she speaks about the torture she has been experiencing for the past half year which, as she says, is being carried out by the director of this company.

An employee of the Public Utility Company in Bajina Basta, Olgica Petrovic, has been enduring systematic pressure for months, which was further intensified after the discovery that she would be on the student list for the upcoming local elections in this town. After testifying against the company director Dejan Filipovic, increased pressure followed, as well as a hearing before the UKP (Criminal Police Directorate) in Uzice following a report filed by the director of this public company. Lawyer and leader of the “Uzice Action” council group Radovan Novakovic warns that, on the eve of the elections, arrests of people from the future opposition list are also being planned.

Regarding the future local elections in Bajina Basta and the intimidation endured by people who will oppose the regime, Radovan Novakovic spoke out on the social network X:

“The harassment of people from Bajina Basta, who are supposed to be on the joint list for local elections, has begun. Today, a woman employed in a public company was questioned before the UKP in Uzice based on a false report by the director.”

That woman is Olgica Petrovic, a mother of three, and the torture over her has been carried out since May last year.

“I have been working at the Public Utility Company ‘September 12th’ in Bajina Basta for 10 years as the head of the cleanliness and greenery sector. My political orientation was absolutely clear to everyone, although I have never in my life influenced any of the workers, even though I lead the largest sector in the firm. When the protests began, of course my husband and I actively participated in that as support for both students and professors in this whole situation. We were even active in the assembly where topics key to the city were mentioned, where solutions were presented,” says Petrovic.

She states that the pressures she endures, carried out by her director Dejan Filipovic, began back in May when she testified against him.

“In the month of April 2025, a tree fell in the city, and I said what the cause was, based on which one of the citizens initiated a lawsuit against the people who were considered responsible at that moment, namely the former mayor Radomir Filipovic and the director of the utility company Dejan Filipovic. I was called at the end of May as a witness to the police. I gave a statement as an instructor who was present at that conversation where we gave them our expert opinion that they absolutely must not do that, those interventions they were doing, and it all ended there,” she says and adds:

“I was called again on September 29th to appear as a witness before the public prosecutor where I gave the same statement I gave earlier, and from that day an absolute change in behavior literally begins within the firm itself, and exclusively toward me, not toward all managers. Also, pressure was exerted on me to give a statement that I testified falsely in September, which I of course refused, because it is nonsensical to me. When the question was asked why they need that, if they had already paid the opportunity, they said that elections are coming, so that story needs to be removed from their names.”

She told Nova.rs that she was receiving orders with very short deadlines at that time, where, as she says, certain commissions are formed that are absolutely invalid, and adds that due to all the pressures, she was forced to take sick leave.

“So I opened a sick leave because it was truly unbearable to work. I don’t want to create a problem or have someone get hurt, because there are truly a hundred jobs, a big problem could happen and I must be concentrated. In the meantime, of course, information reached them that it is planned for me to be on the student list, because the local elections are approaching, which only further intensified the complete pressure on me,” she points out and concludes:

“During the sick leave, I assume, that report was filed where the workers I manage were called for interviews at the UKP, as well as people we collaborated with from other cities, where a million things are called into question. I think there is truly no material for that except intimidation or any kind of pressure for me to withdraw and give up my personal opinion. I know that I have been doing my job conscientiously for 10 years. I am aware that they are ready for anything, because they have a lot to lose.”

Arrests are also planned

Radovan Novakovic, the lawyer and president of the “Uzice Action” council group in the Uzice City Assembly, who disclosed this story, told Nova that Olgica Petrovic was called for questioning on Monday by the UKP, the department for fighting corruption.

“The report against her was filed by director Dejan Filipovic of JKP ‘September 12th’, for the alleged embezzlement of some plants. The reason for filing that report is that she was a witness at the end of September in the proceedings conducted against him. They tried to influence her in various ways. Certain commissions are being formed to control her work and the woman opened a sick leave. She is still on sick leave today, she is starting to see a psychiatrist, and we have medical reports where everything that is happening can be seen. That woman is literally ready to be arrested. They have even started looking for another person for her job position and offering it to some people,” Novakovic emphasizes.

He adds that, among other things, pressure is also being exerted on people who are on the list for the future local elections in Bajina Basta.

“I have information that the arrest of some people who are supposed to be on 그 list is also being planned for the purpose of conducting the election campaign. We gave that statement yesterday and we expect in the next few days that the case will be submitted to the prosecutor,” he says.