Serbia detains head of criminal police — Al Jazeera

Serbia has detained the head of the Criminal Police Directorate, Marko Kričak, and Boško Šekulović, a police commander for combating organized crime. They are suspected of abuse of office and failure to perform official duties, Al Jazeera reports.

Suspicions against officials

Belgrade Chief Prosecutor Nenad Stefanović said that, according to the investigation, the actions of Kričak and Šekulović harmed the rights of former Belgrade police chief Veselin Milić.

The suspicions arose during an investigation into the May killing of an alleged member of criminal circles at a Belgrade restaurant. Milić was detained several days after the murder on suspicion of failing to report a crime and aiding the perpetrator.

While in custody, Milić initiated legal action against Kričak and Šekulović. He accused them of providing prosecutors with incomplete and false evidence.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Prosecutor's office denies political connection

Student groups had previously accused Kričak of brutality during police actions at demonstrations that contributed to the fall of Aleksandar Vučić's ruling Serbian Progressive Party. Last week, they demanded the removal of Kričak and several police and security service chiefs as part of sweeping reforms.

At the same time, Stefanović said that the detention was not related to the outcome of the parliamentary elections. In the early election on October 25, the student-backed Student List movement won, ending the 14-year rule of Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party.

The detentions took place on the day when thousands of people in Novi Sad commemorated 16 people killed in the collapse of a concrete canopy at a recently reconstructed railway station two years ago. Participants observed a minute of silence for each victim.