Kokeza's Sky messages about an attack on Nemanja Vidić

Category: Above the law

Period: from 19 Nov 2020

Outcome: Under investigation (as of 23 Sep 2026)

According to Sky messages published by KRIK, in late 2020 Slaviša Kokeza, a former president of the Football Association of Serbia and an official of the SNS, used intermediaries to ask people linked to criminals to follow, intimidate and physically attack Nemanja Vidić. No institution warned Vidić, and as of June 2026 no investigation had been opened into Kokeza, who is close to Aleksandar Vučić. More than a month on, the Interior Ministry has still not handed the messages over to the Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime, and the case is at the pre-investigation stage.

Plans against Vidić

According to messages from the encrypted app Sky published by KRIK on 30 June 2026, Slaviša Kokeza, former president of the Football Association of Serbia and a long-time SNS official, asked people linked to criminals, through an intermediary, in late 2020 to follow, intimidate and physically attack former national team captain Nemanja Vidić. This came after Vidić's open letter against the association's leadership.

According to the messages, a tracking device was placed on Vidić's car in Milan, and three former national team players who had backed him were also targeted. On 7 December 2020, Kokeza ordered that everything be called off.

Kokeza, Vučić and Belivuk

Kokeza was close to President Aleksandar Vučić. According to KRIK, he was in indirect contact with Veljko Belivuk through associates and received tip-offs from the police.

After being questioned by police in 2021, and after Interior Minister Vulin and Vučić said publicly that he had refused a polygraph test, he resigned and left Serbia. He did not respond to KRIK's questions. For other Sky messages concerning the authorities, see the affair “Criminals' Sky messages about government officials”.

Messages the Interior Ministry won't hand over

Vidić learned of the plans from journalists; no institution warned him. As of June 2026, no investigation had been opened into Kokeza. The Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime requested the messages from the Interior Ministry, but more than a month later the ministry had still not handed them over. Neither Minister Ivica Dačić nor the police director replied to the prosecutor's letter; Dačić said the police are “operationally independent”.

Vidić gave a statement in August, and as of 23 September 2026 the Interior Ministry had not responded to his request for a security assessment either. The case is at the pre-investigation stage.

Participants

Slaviša Kokeza: According to messages published by KRIK, in 2020 he sought, through criminals, to have Vidić threatened and physically harmed (responsible)
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia: According to the prosecutor's office, even after a month it had not handed over the Sky correspondence, which only the Interior Ministry receives from Europol (responsible)
Ivica Dačić: He confirmed receiving the prosecutor's letter about the Sky correspondence that had not been handed over, and said the minister must not interfere in the investigation (commented on the case)
Dragan Vasiljević: As police director he did not reply to the Organised Crime Prosecutor's Office, which had requested Sky messages the Interior Ministry had still not handed over after more than a month (responsible)
Aleksandar Vučić: He said he did not understand why Kokeza refused a polygraph, and in 2026 that neither Vidić nor Kokeza mattered much to him (commented on the case)
Aleksandar Vulin: After the questioning he said Kokeza had refused a polygraph test (commented on the case)
Public Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime: It summoned Vidić to give a statement and asked the Interior Ministry for the Sky communications; the case is at the pre-investigation stage (investigation and courts)
Ivan Ninić: He filed a criminal complaint against Kokeza, and the prosecution passed it on to the Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime (oversight and the public)
KRIK: Together with OCCRP, it published Sky messages in which, according to its reporting, Kokeza hires criminals to threaten Vidić (oversight and the public)
Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for Combating Corruption: In 2021 it ordered the police to look into transactions to the Football Association and the match-fixing allegations (investigation and courts)

Victims and others harmed

Nemanja Vidić