After almost two years, at the end of September 2024, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade confirmed the judgment of the Court in Valjevo, that the police major, Katarina Petrović from Valjevo, did not reveal an official secret when she informed the public that the godfather of Mr. Vučić, Nikola Petrović, during a traffic violation, was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Despite the acquittal, police officer Petrović is still under suspension, that is, she has not been reinstated.
But that is not the end of her fight for the right to work and personal opinion. On January 27, the head of the Valjevo Police Administration submitted an initiative, on the basis of which a conclusion was reached on the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against Katarina Petrović, "due to the fact that on September 24, 09, she appeared in the media without approval and on her own initiative, by was a guest on Danica Vučinić's show "Behind the news", broadcast on TV N2024, on that occasion, using the authority of a police chief in the rank of major, stated: MUP is a system that should function in the function of citizens and the law, not the government. Currently, she is absolutely in the service of the government, which caused harmful consequences for the reputation of the MUP, because with such claims she described the MUP as a politicized and illegal institution.... which is contrary to the Code of Conduct and Appearance of Police Officers"...
"Politicized and illegal body"
That was not all, it is stated that "on 28.11. In 2024, without approval and on her own initiative, she appeared in the media, by participating directly in the TV N1 show through a video link, during which she stated: What we have seen in the last few days, maybe even weeks, the behavior of the police on several occasions was is disappointing, or it was late, or it was not there, or it was inadequate and in some situations excessive. as well as that the police is an instrument in the hands of the government, which it should not be".
It is stated that here too the policewoman caused harmful consequences for the MUP, because she described the MUP as a politicized and illegal body, which could cause a violation of citizens' trust...
It continues that she committed serious violations of her official duties, which created the conditions to initiate disciplinary proceedings, on the proposal of the head of the Valjevo Police Department. At the end, there is a lesson on legal remedies, which reads: The employee has no right to object to this conclusion.
Nineteen months suspension
Commenting on the Instruction on Legal Remedy, Branko Ivković, Katarina Petrović's lawyer, tells "Vreme" that this is only an initial act, because the evidentiary procedure follows, when the applicant must prove the allegations from the conclusion.
Police officer Katarina, who has been under suspension for 19 months, says that she does not understand how disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against someone who is under suspension, because how can she ask for permission for anything, when she cannot enter the MUP building.
She adds that she understands this as a continuation of the persecution, and that she would not understand it as a response to her organizing a petition by which the police officers would support the student demands, which has been signed by over 350 members of the MUP from all over Serbia so far, because the report was initiated before started a petition.
