Prosecutor Stefanovic: I expect a comprehensive investigation into the canal in ZP; decision on indictment for Banjska soon

The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Nenad Stefanovic, emphasized in an interview with Kosovo Online that he expects Serbian authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine the truth and all relevant facts regarding the explosion near the Ibar-Lepenac canal.

Will there be an investigation into the Ibar-Lepenac canal case?

I expect that the relevant authorities of the Republic of Serbia will conduct a thorough investigation to establish the truth and all pertinent facts related to this incident. The investigation should determine whether a criminal act of sabotage or another crime prosecutable ex officio has been committed, identify the perpetrators of this criminal offense, and ensure they are held criminally accountable.

What is the status of the Banjska case investigation?

An investigation has been launched against Milan Radoicic concerning the events of September 24, 2023, in Banjska, located in the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija. More than 40 procedural actions have been undertaken during the investigation. The Prosecutor’s Office will decide on filing an indictment at the end of this year or early next year. In this regard, I expect adequate cooperation with EULEX.

In collaboration with other state bodies, all facts and circumstances surrounding the critical events in Banjska on September 24, 2023, are being established, and the statements made by the suspect during questioning at the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade are being verified. Furthermore, through the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has contacted EULEX, requesting complete documentation related to the critical events of September 24, 2023, in Banjska.

Specifically, to provide legal assistance, we have requested records of the scene investigation, photo documentation, autopsy reports of all deceased individuals, medical reports of all injured persons, and expert reports on weapons, ammunition, and explosive devices. We have also requested records of interrogations of the accused and testimonies of witnesses. The investigation order accuses Radoicic of committing three criminal offenses with other unidentified persons: Organizing to Commit Criminal Offenses, Unauthorized Production, Possession, Carrying, and Trafficking of Firearms and Explosives, and Serious Offenses Against Public Safety.

A month has passed since the major tragedy in Novi Sad. How is that investigation progressing, and how do you respond to political pressure from the opposition and obstruction of the prosecutor's office?

The pressures on public prosecutors, increasingly conducted in public and through certain media, are unacceptable. Particularly dangerous are attacks and inappropriate comments from politicians and segments of the lay public, which create a false perception of the work of the public prosecutor’s office, whose duty is to prosecute all perpetrators of criminal acts.

For this reason, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade responded last week, calling on the High Council of Prosecutors to react urgently and protect the independence of public prosecutors and ensure their uninterrupted work.

As the guarantor of the independence of all public prosecutors in Serbia, the High Council of Prosecutors must promptly take all actions within its jurisdiction and begin exercising its legal powers to prevent such threats and pressures on public prosecutors from recurring.