The Serbian Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office (JTOK) has warned that the High Prosecutorial Council’s (VST) decision not to assign four prosecutors to JTOK could severely disrupt ongoing investigations into organized crime and terrorism, according to Nova.rs.
Key Details:
- Prosecutors Irena Bjeloš, Aleksandar Isailović, Aleksandar Barac, and Dragoljub Miladinović were not reassigned to JTOK last week due to missing a single vote.
- JTOK officials describe this as a direct institutional blow to the efficiency of the office, particularly affecting investigations that require continuity, specialized expertise, and extensive financial analysis.
Consequences for Criminal Cases:
- Investigations are expected to slow down, trials may be postponed, and remaining prosecutors face increased workloads.
- Complex cases such as the five-ton marijuana seizure in Konjuh (Bjeloš) and the financial investigation of the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad (Barac and Miladinović) are at risk.
- Lack of assignment breaks the institutional memory and continuity necessary for prosecuting transnational organized crime and terrorism financing cases.
JTOK’s Position:
JTOK stressed that Serbia’s Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office already operates with a serious personnel deficit, and the assignment mechanism is legally crucial for maintaining operational capacity. The non-assignment worsens institutional crisis rather than mitigating challenges introduced by recent amendments to the Public Prosecutor Law.
JTOK highlighted that the VST session demonstrated a strong influence of the executive branch on the prosecutorial process, revealing deep divisions among council members and long procedural delays.
“The consequences of this decision are inevitable: investigation delays, prolongation of criminal proceedings, and additional burdens on the remaining prosecutors. These cases involve thousands of pages of documentation, complex financial structures, and multiple actors, requiring strategic planning and continuity in investigative procedures,” said JTOK representatives.
Impact on Specialized Investigations:
- Bjeloš was leading high-profile transnational organized crime cases, including the Balkan Cartel investigation.
- Isailović handled terrorism and terrorism financing cases exclusively.
- Barac and Miladinović are central to financial flows monitoring in major infrastructure projects like the Hungarian-Serbian railway modernization.
JTOK warns that the decision constitutes a direct attack on critical investigations, threatening both the speed and quality of justice in high-profile organized crime and financial criminal cases.
