The Office of the High Public Prosecutor in Belgrade has announced the opening of an investigation into allegations of misuse of funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Serbia.
The Serbian prosecution confirmed that, on Tuesday, February 25, the police began “gathering information” regarding the work of four NGOs: the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability (CRTA), Civic Initiatives, the Center for Practical Policies, and the Trag Foundation.
“To verify the accusations and gather evidence regarding the suspected misuse of USAID funds, misuse of funds, and possible money laundering, the Special Department for Combating Corruption has requested the police to collect the necessary information,” said Public Prosecutor Nenad Stefanović.
He added that, “for now,” a decision has been made to retrieve all documents related to USAID donations from the four NGOs and to question the responsible individuals.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that Serbia will assist the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its investigation into the financing of Serbian NGOs by USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
“Undoubtedly, we will cooperate closely with the FBI on this matter,” Vučić said in an interview with Happy TV, adding that the FBI would receive any information it needs from Serbia.
The NGO Civic Initiatives announced, via a media statement, that the police entered its offices on February 25.
“On the morning of that day, about 20 police officers raided the offices of Civic Initiatives, saying they had an order from the prosecutor’s office to investigate the organization’s work, but they refused to show the document,” the statement said.
The association further added that the police also raided the Center for Practical Policies, an organization that, according to them, had no projects with USAID.
“This is a serious attack on basic civil rights and a continuation of the illegal pressure on civil society in Serbia. Government structures are attempting to implement intimidation and prosecution mechanisms without the approval of the Foreign Agents Law,” stated the Civic Initiatives in their communiqué, according to REL.
U.S. President Donald Trump had restricted USAID’s operations by ordering a 90-day freeze on its expenditures on January 24.
The U.S. presidential administration is considering bringing USAID under the umbrella of the State Department as part of a major reorganization that would reduce the number of employees.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration and his close associates have frequently referred to USAID as a “criminal organization.”
