In a damning assessment of Serbia’s current institutional crisis, the former director of the Military Security Agency (VBA), Momir Stojanović, warned that organized crime has completely compromised the state apparatus. Speaking to N1, Stojanović drew a grim contrast between the current regime and the darkest periods of the 1990s.
“In the nineties, criminals were under the control of the authorities. Today, the authorities are under the control of criminals. Furthermore, back then, whatever one might think of Slobodan Milošević, the government’s influence on the judiciary was minor compared to what we see today.”
The Veselin Milić Case: Institutional Collusion Exposed
Stojanović pointed to the high-profile arrest of the former chief of the Belgrade Police, Veselin Milić, as the most blatant evidence of deep-seated systemic corruption.
Unlike previous high-profile scandals such as the Šarić drug cartel or the “Jovanjica” marijuana farm cases—where an absolute, ironclad link to top state officials could not be legally proven in its entirety—Stojanović insists that the Milić case exposes the criminal-state nexus with complete clarity.
The Veselin Milić Chronology & Anomalies
[ May 12 ] ──► Murder of A. Nešović Baja at Restaurant "27" by S. Vuković "Boske"
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[ May 15 ] ──► Milić arrested alongside 10 individuals (24-hour delay before interrogation)
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[ May 21 ] ──► Victim's body discovered hidden inside a barrel in Inđija
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[ May 29 ] ──► Raids on Milić's properties executed 14 days AFTER his initial arrest
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[ June 3 ] ──► Belgrade Higher Prosecution drops heavy evidence-tampering charges
Critical Investigative Failures and “Scandals”
Stojanović highlighted a series of baffling procedural anomalies that point toward a coordinated institutional cover-up:
- Jurisdiction Hijacking: Despite involving a top-tier Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) official cooperating directly with organized crime leaders, the case was kept with the Higher Public Prosecution (VJT) in Belgrade rather than being immediately handed over to the specialized Prosecution for Organized Crime (TOK).
- The 24-Hour Buffer: Following the murder at Belgrade’s Restaurant “27”, Milić was not detained for over 24 hours. Stojanović raised the critical question: “Was this time used to strike a deal and clean up the situation?”
- The Dropped Charges: On June 3, the VJT dropped the severe charge against Milić for assisting perpetrators and destroying crime scene evidence, reducing the investigation to a minor offense: failing to report a crime. Stojanović labeled this decision “scandalous.” The prosecution based its dismissal on surrounding CCTV footage and Telekom Srbija cell tower data, which claimed Milić and the killer drove past each other rather than meeting, despite initial findings confirming Milić had summoned the victim to the restaurant.
- The Delayed Raids: Investigators waited a staggering 14 days after Milić’s arrest to execute a search warrant on his private apartment and official office spaces, giving ample time for any remaining physical or digital evidence to be cleared.
Uncontrolled Shadow Wars Inside the State
When questioned on whether this case signifies a violent internal war within Serbia’s police force, Stojanović answered with absolute certainty.
| Ongoing Institutional Conflict | Nature of the Turf War | Structural Consequence |
| Milić vs. Kričko | Intelligence reports point to an open, aggressive feud between Marko Kričko (Chief of the Criminal Police Directorate – UKP) and Veselin Milić. | This is not an isolated incident; it signals a widespread “settling of scores” within the ruling structure. |
| Loss of Central Control | President Aleksandar Vučić is increasingly unable to manage the infighting within the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its criminal offshoots. | The ongoing proxy conflicts between state elements and mafia groups are entirely uncontrolled. |
The Illusion of Totalitarian Control
Stojanović concluded by shattering the public perception that the presidency retains total control over the country’s trajectory. The criminal elements originally cultivated by the political elite have grown far too powerful to be restrained by their creators.
“The problem is that the average Serbian citizen believes Vučić decides everything in this society. But I say this with absolute certainty: the criminals created by Vučić have become so emboldened that he can no longer control them. Consequently, it is no longer Vučić who makes the decisions in this society—it is the criminals. That is what is truly terrifying.”
