BIRN Journalist on Illegal Dedinje Construction: Aleksandra Sofronijević Annulled Building Inspection Ruling

Journalist Radmilo Marković of BIRN has raised serious questions about an illegal construction case in Belgrade's Dedinje neighborhood. He detailed how a company, Maxim Media, allegedly built five floors above the permitted two, along with additional structures, at a site near the FK Crvena Zvezda stadium. The company reportedly had a permit for seven apartments and two above-ground levels, but significantly exceeded these limits.

Marković explained to N1 that the Building Inspection initially performed its duties, identifying the excess construction and additional unauthorized buildings. The inspection ordered the demolition of the excess structures, sealed the site, and filed a criminal complaint, which is standard procedure for illegal construction. However, the situation took a turn when the construction site was reopened, and the inspection's seals were removed.

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The Building Inspection established an excess, not only an extra floor above the permitted one but also additional structures in the back that should not have existed. The initial ruling was to demolish the excess. The Building Inspection sealed the construction site and filed a criminal complaint, which is routine, as is usually done in cases of illegal construction.

The case was subsequently transferred from the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office to the Commercial Court. Marković expressed confusion over this decision, noting that a new prosecutor reclassified the case as a commercial offense rather than a criminal act. The prosecutor's office stated that the deviations were from technical documentation, not illegal construction, thus classifying it as a commercial offense.

Marković pointed out a stark contrast with previous cases, where similar construction without permits led to criminal charges. He also questioned why the supplementary criminal complaint filed by the inspection was not considered. Furthermore, he noted that the penalty imposed was significantly below the minimum for such cases. The apartments are reportedly now on sale, with 13 out of 20 units currently listed.

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Actually, there was a change of prosecutor. At the beginning, one female prosecutor received the case, but she advanced and went to the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, and the new prosecutor transferred the case to the Commercial Court as soon as they arrived. We asked why this was done, and they said that according to what the inspection established, there was no illegal construction, but rather deviations from the technical documentation, so it was not a criminal offense but a commercial offense.