Silence continues to emanate from both the Serbian Presidency and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China following explosive allegations made by members of an independent Inquiry Commission regarding the deadly Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse.
The allegations, aired during the talk show “Utisak Nedelje” (Impression of the Week), suggest that President Aleksandar Vučić personally guaranteed the Chinese ambassador that Chinese contractors would not face prosecution, while simultaneously revealing that project costs nearly doubled due to corruption.
Allegations of “Guaranteed Impunity”
Professor Vladimir Obradović, a member of the Commission, claimed that on the very day of the tragedy, Vučić held a phone conversation with the Chinese ambassador. According to Obradović, Vučić promised that no members of the Chinese consortium—the lead contractors for the station’s renovation—would be held accountable.
“Vučić’s first statement claiming the canopy was not reconstructed followed his conversation with the Chinese ambassador,” Obradović stated. “The Chinese consortium served as a ‘flow-through heater’ for corruption. The ambassador should deny this if it isn’t true.”
Inflated Costs and Financial Discrepancies
Sanja Fric, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, provided startling financial data during the same broadcast. She revealed that the estimated value of the works based on project documentation was approximately €9.5 million, yet the state was ultimately billed €18.7 million.
Fric alleged that the Chinese contractor:
- Billed twice for the same works.
- Retained a percentage of funds meant for subcontractors.
- Selected subcontractors without any public procurement process.
- Charged up to 500% more than the estimated market value for certain segments.
“An Act of High Treason”
Legal experts are calling for immediate prosecutorial intervention. Bojan Pajtić, a professor at the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad, told Nova that these allegations constitute a total subversion of the rule of law.
“The circumstance where someone in this state promises another that they will not be subject to legal procedures is no longer just a legal scandal; it is the erasure of the state,” Pajtić said. He added that by favoring foreign citizens over the justice system, the President has committed “a kind of act of high treason.”
Silence from the Embassy
Despite formal inquiries, the Chinese Embassy has not responded to the claims. Professor Pajtić suggested that the lack of a denial reflects a “colonial” dynamic, where foreign partners perceive themselves as above local laws due to the privileges granted by the regime to maintain its grip on power.
As of today, no official indictments have been filed in relation to the tragedy, leading to growing public frustration over perceived obstructions in the judicial process.
