Serbia’s Supreme Public Prosecutor, Zagorka Dolovac, has instructed the competent prosecution office to issue an order launching an investigation into recently arrested senior police official Marko Kričak over suspicions that he was involved in the beating of students and other citizens, the news portal Nova.rs has reported.
According to Nova.rs, Dolovac’s instruction also requires the prosecution to provide regular updates on the case.
The outlet reported that the directive is the first result of the work of a five-member oversight commission established within the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office last week. The commission was tasked with monitoring and reviewing the work of all 89 public prosecution offices in Serbia.
According to the report, Dolovac instructed the competent prosecutors to examine allegations of assaults against students, establish the circumstances surrounding the incidents and determine whether Kričak or other police officers bear any responsibility.
The investigation order is reportedly expected to cover several police officers in addition to Kričak.
Nova.rs also reported that the case had remained inactive at the prosecution office for approximately a year.
The development comes after the Higher Court in Belgrade announced that it had ordered up to 30 days of pretrial detention for Kričak, head of the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP), and Boško Sekulović, head of the Service for Combating Crime. Both were arrested on Sunday following a complaint filed by the defense lawyers of Veselin Milić.
The allegations concerning the alleged beatings remain under investigation, and the responsibility of the individuals involved has yet to be established.
