Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovi\u0107 has been accused, along with three others, of abuse of office and falsification of official documents in the \u201cGeneral Staff\u201d case. As part of the investigation by the Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office for Organized Crime, their mobile phones and communications were examined, and we reveal the details here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the indictment proposal by the Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office for Organized Crime, the accused include current Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovi\u0107, directors of the Republic and City Institutes for the Protection of Cultural Monuments Goran Vasi\u0107 and Aleksandar Ivanovi\u0107, as well as the Ministry of Culture secretary Slavica Jela\u010da. The four are accused of acting contrary to the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Serbia from mid-May to the end of November 2024, exceeding their official authority and causing damage to Serbia\u2019s cultural heritage. Their illegal actions allegedly aimed to remove the cultural heritage designation from the General Staff building to make way for a luxury hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As previously reported, the accused met in person regarding the execution of the criminal act but also discussed certain matters via SMS, Viber, and WhatsApp messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On November 17, 2024, at 11:29:38, the accused Ivanovi\u0107 wrote via Viber to Vasi\u0107: \u201cEstela on N1 five minutes ago says that your RZ was not involved in removing protection from the General Staff.\u201d<\/em> (Estela here refers to Estela Radonji\u0107 \u017divkov, deputy director of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Monuments in Belgrade, who was later relieved of her position at her request and has the status of a witness in this case.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vasi\u0107 replied at 11:33:49: \u201cWithout my consent\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At 11:34:11, Vasi\u0107 asked Ivanovi\u0107: \u201cCan we talk here?\u201d<\/em> to which Ivanovi\u0107 responded at 11:34:39: \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n An hour later, the two continued their conversation via WhatsApp. Ivanovi\u0107 sent Vasi\u0107 a link to a website containing controversial government decisions regarding the General Staff. A minute later, he sent another message:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere is the Decision from the Official Gazette on the amendment for the area around Kneza Milo\u0161a Street. I don\u2019t know who prepared this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minutes later, Ivanovi\u0107 sent Vasi\u0107 another link with controversial decisions and added: \u201cAnd here is the Decision on the cessation of KD status for the General Staff buildings.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At 12:24:56, he wrote: \u201cSo, two Decisions were published in the Official Gazette.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vasi\u0107 replied: \u201cYes, I saw that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ivanovi\u0107: \u201cOne is about the cessation of KD status \u2013 and we know that, and you and I participated on behalf of the institutions that day at the Ministry in July. The other is the Decision on the amendment for the area around Kneza Milo\u0161a Street \u2013 I don\u2019t know anything about that, it was done without us\/me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vasi\u0107: \u201cYes\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n