- The Move-Change movement claims that the police to the mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, at night of the incident with councilor Tanja Mićić, took away two pistols, a Glock 26 and a Zastava M-99.
- The movement asks the prosecutor Mirko Despotović if the certificate of confiscated weapons was removed from the prosecutor's files and who did it.
- The Prosecutor's Office conducts the pre-investigation procedure: Šapić was questioned. as a suspect for serious bodily injury and violent behavior, and Mićić as a witness; Šapić's lawyer claims that the prosecution is not charging him.
- Belgrade is plastered with "United thugs" posters with Vučić and Šapić, and it is not known who put them up.
What happened
According to the Kreni-Promena statement, on the night of the incident, the police confiscated a Glock pistol, model 26, caliber 9×19, and a Red Flag pistol, model M-99, caliber 9 para, from Šapić.
"Even if he had a permit to carry, he was not allowed to have two pistols," said the leader of the Kreni-Promeni movement, Savo Manojlović, ahead of the session of the Belgrade City Assembly on Tuesday, October 13.
The movement asked the prosecutor Mirko Despotović whether the certificate of confiscated weapons was removed from the file and who did it, whether Šapić has a license to keep and carry those weapons, whether he has any more weapons and whether they were taken from him, as well as why he was not detained or proposed detention.
Movement councilor Nikola Stanković said that the key question is whether the mayor can perform his duties while the preliminary investigation is ongoing.
After that, the streets of Belgrade were plastered with "United thugs" posters, with the words "protector" across Vučić's face, and "bully" above Šapić's. Kreni-Promeni published the screenshots of the posters, but did not say whether he had put them up.
Case background
The incident happened on the evening of October 5 at Bežanija Kosa in New Belgrade, where, according to Mićić's statement, she was punched in the nose after a verbal argument with Šapić. Kreni-Promeni published a video showing physical contact between Šapić and Mićić while she was recording the discussion on her phone.
According to the medical documentation provided by the movement, her left nasal bone and part of the left upper jaw were broken, with surgery.
Šapić said at the press conference that he was the first to approach Mićić and her husband and strongly denied that he hit the councilwoman, claiming that he was defending himself, and some media close to the government claim that the councilwoman and her husband initiated the attack on the mayor. The police took him to the station in New Belgrade and released him, and the Third Basic Public Prosecutor's Office opened a case, ordered the acquisition of footage from all cameras and requested medical documentation from the Emergency Center. Šapić's lawyer claimed that it is not true that the prosecution is charging him.
Vučić said that Šapić, as a public official, had to hide and bear responsibility, and Šapić apologized to Vučić and SNS the day after the incident for allowing him to be dragged into such a situation.
The request for an extraordinary session of the City Assembly on his dismissal was supported by 41 councilors.
Why is this important?
Allegations about weapons open the question of the legality of carrying a weapon by a public official, as well as whether the procedure is conducted in the same way as other suspects of violence.
According to the Law on Arms and Ammunition, owning and carrying a weapon are two different things. Carrying without a special permit is prohibited. A carrying permit can only be issued to a natural person who already has a registered pistol or revolver for personal security and who can credibly demonstrate that his personal safety is significantly threatened or could be threatened to the extent that carrying a weapon is necessary. The permit is valid for up to five years and only with a weapon license, the holder may only carry one weapon and may not make it visible or carry it in a way that disturbs others.
The law does not provide for a special regime for public officials, so the question of whether Šapić had a permit to carry weapons and on the basis of which risk assessment is a matter that the prosecution needs to clarify.
It is important for citizens because it shows who and under what conditions is allowed to carry a weapon on the street, and for voters, on the eve of the elections on October 25, the case has become part of the campaign, as evidenced by the posters.
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