US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose sanctions on four Serbian businessmen whom he accuses of supporting President Aleksandar Vučić’s political establishment, benefiting from public resources and undermining democratic competition in Serbia.
The proposed measures target Ivan Bošnjak and Stojan Vujko, co-owners of construction company Millennium Team; Davor Macura, owner of Alta Group and Alta Banka; and Željko Mitrović, owner of Pink Media Group.
According to a letter dated October 14 and obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Wilson called for the four men to be barred from entering the United States and from accessing the American financial system.
Wilson addressed the request to Rubio in his capacity as co-chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, commonly known as the US Helsinki Commission.
In the letter, Wilson accused the businessmen of helping sustain what he described as Vučić’s corrupt system, undermining US interests in Serbia and the wider region, and actively interfering in the October 25 parliamentary elections.
Millennium Team and Alta Banka have rejected the allegations as false. Mitrović did not directly address the accusations. None of the three companies is currently subject to international sanctions, and Bošnjak, Vujko and Macura have not previously been sanctioned. Mitrović, however, was sanctioned by the United States and the European Union during the rule of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević.
Allegations of corruption and election interference
In his letter, Wilson argued that Millennium Team’s owners had benefited from numerous state contracts and business dealings involving Chinese companies allegedly linked to corruption. He said such arrangements could gradually exclude Western companies, including American businesses, from the Serbian market while favouring companies with political connections.
Alta Banka was accused of involvement in money laundering, while Pink television was criticised for concentrating media influence and serving as a propaganda tool for the authorities.
Wilson also accused Vučić of weakening the rule of law and attempting to eliminate democratic competition.
“He has made many promises to the United States but has not fulfilled them,” the letter stated, arguing that the Serbian government had instead opened the door to Russian and Chinese influence.
Wilson called on Rubio to take the proposed measures to help ensure that Vučić’s government could not manipulate the election results.
The request comes amid growing concern among some US lawmakers over Serbia’s democratic trajectory and its relations with Russia and China.
In a separate appeal shortly before the elections, a bipartisan group of US senators urged Serbian authorities to ensure a level playing field for all political participants. They described reports of illegal surveillance targeting opposition members and efforts to discredit or obstruct election-monitoring missions as deeply troubling.
US State Department declines to comment
Asked by RFE/RL about Wilson’s request, the US State Department said it does not comment on communications with Congress or on specific cases because of the confidentiality surrounding visa records.
“The Trump administration protects our country and our citizens by applying the highest standards of national and public security in the visa application process,” the department said.
The United States imposes sanctions when it determines that a state, company, organisation or individual poses a threat to its national security, foreign policy or economy. Such measures are foreign-policy instruments and do not, by themselves, constitute a criminal conviction.
Businessmen reject the allegations
Alta Banka rejected claims that Alta Group, the bank or Macura had been involved in money laundering, corruption, the misuse of public resources or interference in the electoral process.
The bank said no competent authority in any jurisdiction had issued such a finding or decision against the bank, Alta Pay Group or Macura.
It also stressed that Macura is a private entrepreneur rather than a politician, and said the bank operates under the supervision of the National Bank of Serbia while complying with anti-money-laundering and financial regulations.
The bank said it remained committed to cooperating with regulators and law-enforcement authorities. It added that it had seen no evidence that the sanctions request had been submitted to the State Department and would seek clarification from the relevant authorities.
Millennium Team likewise said it operated transparently and in accordance with the law, describing the allegations as false and unfounded. The company said it would defend its rights through legal means if the claims were published.
Mitrović, rather than directly answering RFE/RL’s questions, referred the outlet to an Instagram post published on July 2, in which he congratulated Americans on Independence Day and expressed optimism about improving relations between Serbia and the United States.
During the late 1990s, Mitrović was included on US sanctions lists because of his ties to Milošević’s government. The measures at the time included restrictions on travel to the United States and on business and financial dealings with American individuals and companies. He was also sanctioned by the European Union.
Millennium Team’s major infrastructure projects
Bošnjak and Vujko own Millennium Team, a major Serbian company involved in large infrastructure and construction projects.
Founded in 2003, the company initially traded in food products and waste before entering the construction sector two years later. Since then, it has participated in major projects, including the Belgrade Waterfront development and facilities for the EXPO 2027 international exhibition scheduled to take place in Belgrade.
According to financial documents previously analysed by RFE/RL, Millennium Team recorded a profit of more than €21 million last year. Its owners also hold stakes in around 15 other companies in Serbia and the region.
The company has also hired the Washington-based law firm Steptoe LLP for lobbying activities in the United States. Filings submitted to US authorities state that the work includes media relations and contacts with institutions and officials in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, including lobbying Congress and executive-branch departments and agencies.
Scrutiny surrounding Alta Group
Macura began his business career in 2008 by opening a currency-exchange office in Belgrade’s Zemun district. Over time, he expanded into payment services, banking, real estate and construction.
His companies have attracted scrutiny over several business activities, including cooperation with Serbia’s state-owned electricity utility, Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS). Since November 2023, Alta Pay Group has facilitated electronic electricity-bill payments through EPS’s website and application. Since June 2025, residents of Belgrade have also been paying electricity bills into an account at Alta Banka rather than the account EPS previously held with the state treasury.
EPS has said Alta is one of several banks with which it cooperates, although the detailed contracts governing the arrangement have not been made public.
In 2024, Alta Pay came under scrutiny from the European Central Bank over its involvement, alongside Diplomat Pay, in acquiring shares in Austria’s Addiko Bank. The Financial Times reported that the ECB had examined Alta Pay for months amid concerns about anti-money-laundering controls and questions regarding the origin of Macura’s capital.
Alta Pay said at the time that it was unaware of such an investigation and had provided regulators with documentation on the source of its funds and its internal controls. It rejected suggestions of possible irregularities.
Macura’s business interests have continued to expand. In 2026, through Alta Retail, he acquired the Idea, Roda and Mercator retail chains in Serbia.
In mid-October, Montenegro refused Macura entry to the country and returned him from Podgorica Airport. His company said the authorities had cited national security, internal security or public health but had provided no factual explanation or evidence for the decision.
Mitrović’s media empire
Mitrović heads Pink Media Group, whose core business is television programming. He established Pink radio and television in the late 1990s, during Milošević’s rule, and later founded the City Records music company.
At the time, Mitrović was also involved in the leadership of the Yugoslav Left party, led by Milošević’s wife, Mirjana Marković.
He currently owns or co-owns 18 companies operating across several sectors, including media, film production, confectionery and drone manufacturing.
Growing tensions between Washington and Belgrade
Serbia has faced increased scrutiny from US lawmakers in recent months over concerns about democratic backsliding and its ties with Moscow and Beijing.
In August, Wilson and Democratic Congressman Bill Keating introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives proposing measures against Serbia over its democratic record and links with Russia and China.
A separate bipartisan initiative was subsequently introduced in the Senate by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. It proposes financial sanctions and visa restrictions for Serbian officials, as well as the possible suspension or conditioning of the US-Serbia Strategic Dialogue.
The dialogue began in mid-July with the stated aim of deepening cooperation between the two countries. Rubio opened the meeting on July 17, when the sides signed a memorandum of understanding on energy infrastructure and regional energy security.
Serbian authorities have not commented on the legislative initiatives.
The proposed sanctions against the four businessmen would represent a separate request directed at the State Department. Whether the administration will act on Wilson’s appeal remains unclear.
