21 Months After Tragedy: Trial Awaits, New Clues Emerge on Vučić Cabinet's Role in Building Reconstruction

New findings suggest that associates of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić were involved in coordinating and expediting reconstruction work at the Novi Sad train station, even though they were not officially part of the project's responsible institutions. The weekly "Radar" has uncovered evidence of intense communication between a close associate of the president and an employee of "Infrastruktura Železnice Srbije" (Serbian Railways Infrastructure) on the day of the canopy collapse and in the period following the incident.

This communication, detailed in an indictment by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, raises questions about corruption and political accountability for the tragedy. "Radar" journalist Vuk Cvijić highlighted a particularly active correspondence between Nataša Vukšić, described as a close associate of Vučić, and one of the accused from Serbian Railways. Cvijić noted that this communication continued after the accident, suggesting a lack of lessons learned.

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We only didn't reconstruct the canopy!

Further evidence indicates a broader role for the president's cabinet in the reconstruction project, dating back to 2018. Communications from that period show discussions about changes to financial terms, with the project's acceleration being a key point. The Chinese firms involved reportedly stated that accelerating the project would cost 65 million euros. Correspondence involving former Minister Zorana Mihajlović and the head of Vučić's cabinet, Ivica Kojić, indicates that approvals were sought from the president.

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At the moment he said those words, he knew it wasn't true.

Members of an Inquiry Commission claim that a criminal organization led by the president is responsible, asserting that decisions originate from the "Andrićev venac" (the presidential palace). This is contrasted with Vučić's statement on November 1, 2024, claiming, "We only didn't reconstruct the canopy!" Cvijić disputes this, stating, "At the moment he said those words, he knew it wasn't true."

The process of determining responsibility is reportedly slowed by complex expert examinations, numerous participants in the Belgrade-Subotica railway modernization project, and insufficient access to documentation. Miroslav Milićević, from the Government's Council for Combating Corruption, emphasized the need for judicial independence to establish accountability for all involved in decision-making and project execution. The Appellate Court in Novi Sad has confirmed the indictment against several individuals, including former ministers, in connection with the canopy collapse, and their house arrest has been extended.

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The key question is the full independence of the judiciary and the possibility to establish responsibility of all who participated in decision-making and project implementation without political pressure.