Dejan Naki\u0107, former personal secretary to the late Patriarch Irinej and a longtime influential associate of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s leadership, has once again come under public scrutiny over questions surrounding funds allocated for the Temple of Saint Sava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weekly magazine Vreme has mentioned him in connection with suspicions that some of the budget funds were withdrawn from Serbia in cash and handed over to partners in Moscow. His name has previously surfaced in connection with a controversial contract for the Temple’s bronze doors, political lobbying on behalf of Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and reports of incidents at customs, where, according to media reports, he invoked influential figures within the state and the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naki\u0107 spent years in the immediate circle of Patriarch Irinej and retained his position close to the head of the Church even after Porfirije was elected. Official statements by the Serbian Orthodox Church identify him as a subdeacon and a member of the Patriarch’s entourage during visits to Canada in 2024 and Moscow in April 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Vreme, he served as director of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Production Institute from 2011, while sources from within the Church quoted by the weekly describe him as an \u201cadviser on everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The newspaper Danas, citing sources within the Patriarchate, previously described him as a dealer in ecclesiastical vestments and the main link between the Patriarchate and Andri\u0107ev Venac, the seat of Serbia’s presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the deals that brought Naki\u0107 into the public spotlight was the procurement of bronze doors for the Temple of Saint Sava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He signed a contract with the German company Strassacker Project on January 29, 2020. The agreed price for three large and six smaller doors was \u20ac1,723,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to information published at the time, one million euros was paid in advance, with the remainder due by the end of that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In February 2021, Nova.rs reported information originally published by Danas claiming that Naki\u0107 had concluded the deal without the knowledge of the Holy Synod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A source from the Church leadership claimed that even Patriarch Irinej had not been informed about the contract and that other foundries had not been invited to submit offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A representative of one art foundry assessed that the doors had been overpriced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Holy Synod and Naki\u0107 did not respond to questions sent to them at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naki\u0107’s name has also appeared in Vreme’s latest report on state funding for work on the Temple of Saint Sava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under an agreement signed on Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) by Patriarch Porfirije and Prime Minister \u0110uro Macut, the Serbian Orthodox Church was allocated 763.1 million dinars, or approximately \u20ac6.5 million, for a new mosaic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An initial payment of 234.8 million dinars was made immediately, while the remainder was scheduled to be paid by the end of November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vreme reports that the public funds were transferred to the Serbian Orthodox Church’s account at ALTA Bank and raises suspicions that part of the money was subsequently taken out of Serbia in cash and handed over to partners in Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weekly received no response from the Serbian Orthodox Church regarding the alleged cash transfers or the payment arrangements for the mosaic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports of Naki\u0107 encountering problems at customs first emerged publicly in March 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The story was covered at the time by pro-government media outlets, which, citing an anonymous source from the Patriarchate, claimed that Naki\u0107 had been stopped over Cuban cigars, expensive women’s handbags and large amounts of cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to those allegations, he attempted to avoid trouble by invoking the names of certain government officials and senior Church figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was also claimed that Naki\u0107 justified carrying the cigars by saying they were intended for influential people, including individuals holding senior positions within the Serbian Orthodox Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, in its latest issue, Vreme reports that he was detained in 2025 over a customs violation, while noting that there is no available information on whether any judicial proceedings were initiated against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on the available information, it remains unclear whether the reports concern the same incident or separate cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naki\u0107’s role in relations between the Church and state leadership was also evident during the funeral of Metropolitan Amfilohije in Podgorica in November 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to information obtained by Nova at the time, Naki\u0107 lobbied for Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 to deliver a speech at the funeral, invoking the name of Patriarch Irinej.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, bishops who had discussed the matter the previous evening opposed Vu\u010di\u0107 addressing the gathering. Bishop Atanasije was particularly outspoken, directly confronting Naki\u0107 several times during the meeting held ahead of the funeral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vu\u010di\u0107 ultimately did not deliver a speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nova.rs previously reported that Naki\u0107 had given Vu\u010di\u0107 a \u0160arplaninac dog named Pako as a birthday present in 2019. The dog was presented as a relative of Pa\u0161a, the dog Vu\u010di\u0107 had given to Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naki\u0107 has also been mentioned in an investigation by the Sarajevo-based Center for Investigative Reporting concerning the secret recording of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Electoral Assembly in 2021, at which Porfirije was elected patriarch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Sky communications published by CIN.ba, involving individuals engaged in work on the Temple, a person identified as \u201cDejan\u201d or \u201cD\u201d is mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the published messages, this individual allegedly approved a deal despite the Holy Synod not having given its consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CIN linked this reference to Naki\u0107’s influence within the Patriarchate, although the identity of the person mentioned in the correspondence has not been conclusively established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naki\u0107 told journalists that he was not involved in such matters and that they fell under the responsibility of the bishops. He declined to comment on the other questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nova.rs sent questions concerning Naki\u0107’s role in the Church’s financial dealings, allegations of cash being transferred to Moscow and customs violations to the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Information Service and Dejan Naki\u0107 himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No responses had been received by the time the article was published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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