Members of the police they arrested four people due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of abuse of official position, announced the MUP.
The following were arrested: Dragana Sotirovski (52), former mayor of the city of Niš and former commander of the Emergency Situations Headquarters of the City of Niš, DN (44), responsible person of the entrepreneurial shop "DN PR shop for installation work Vodomonteri" from Lalinac, DN (42), authorized representative of "DN PR shop for installation work Vodomonteri" and ZS (65), responsible person of the company "Sim puk gradnja" doo Malošishte.
It is suspected that Sotirovski, using her official position in the period from March 16, 2022 to July 9, 2024, contrary to the provisions of the articles of the Law on Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management, the Decision on the Organization and Functioning of Civil Protection in the Territory of the City of Niš, as well as the Rules of Procedure of the Headquarters for Emergency Situations of the City of Niš, engaged the entrepreneurial shop "DN PR shop for installation works Vodomonteri" and economic "Sim puk gradnja" d.o.o. Malošishte company for the execution of various construction works in the territory of the City of Niš.
"DS, as is suspected, engaged the aforementioned companies by applying the provisions of the Law on Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management and other regulations under this Law, and not by applying the Law on Public Procurement, although in the aforementioned situations it was not about emergency situations, but about investment maintenance, then the expansion of the water supply and sewerage network, the construction of a new sewerage network for used water and the construction of a supporting structure," the statement reads.
The aforementioned persons who were hired, as it is suspected, based on the offers they gave and which are significantly higher than the market values previously given in the preliminary measurements and estimates prepared by PUC "Naissus" Nis, provided temporary and final situations to the City of Nis, at increased prices.
In this way, as it is suspected, the aforementioned entities obtained illegal property benefits in the amount of 460.322.637 dinars, to the detriment of the City of Niš.
During the search, 11 vehicles were seized, as well as a large number of other vehicles, trucks and work machines, according to the MUP statement.
The suspects were detained for up to 48 hours, and they will be brought to the competent prosecutor's office with a criminal report.
Police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - Anti-corruption Department of the Criminal Police Administration will continue their work to combat corruption on the territory of the Republic of Serbia.
