# The “Palma” case: procuring of underage girls in Jagodina Category: Above the law Period: 19 Apr 2021 – 22 Nov 2024 Outcome: No one investigated (as of 22 Nov 2024) In April 2021, SSP vice-president Marinika Tepić publicly accused Dragan Marković Palma, leader of United Serbia, a partner in the ruling coalition, of procuring young women and underage girls at parties in Končarevo and Jagodina, relying on an anonymous video testimony. Marković denied everything, and on the very first day he publicly identified the anonymous witness and branded him a fake. Prosecutors did not open criminal proceedings, as the 30 citizens they questioned denied any knowledge, and Marković died in November 2024 without ever being prosecuted. ## Accusations of procuring underage girls In April 2021, SSP vice-president Marinika Tepić publicly accused Dragan Marković Palma, President of the Jagodina City Assembly, a member of parliament and leader of United Serbia, a partner in the ruling coalition, of procuring young women and underage girls at parties in Končarevo and Jagodina. The accusations relied on an anonymous video testimony by a former employee of the “Alfa” hotel. Marković denied everything and went to the prosecutors himself. ## Witness exposed and a complaint against Tepić On the very first day, Marković publicly identified the witness who had spoken anonymously, branded him a fake and then filed a criminal complaint against him. He told the other witnesses he would find out their names even if they were protected. A criminal complaint against Tepić was filed by 393 women employed in Jagodina's public sector, and Marković said he had told the staff in his office to sign it. ## A case with no criminal proceedings The case was moved from Jagodina to Kraljevo and handled as a preliminary information-gathering procedure. In August 2021, after interviewing 30 citizens who denied any knowledge, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Kraljevo announced that, for now, there were no grounds for suspicion to bring criminal proceedings. Marković died in November 2024 and was never prosecuted. ## Participants - [Dragan Marković Palma](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/dragan-markovic): According to Tepić's allegations, he organised parties at which underage girls were procured; he publicly named the witness and filed a complaint against him (responsible) - [Marija Jovanović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/marija-jovanovic): She submitted the criminal complaint by 393 public-sector women against Tepić and said there had been no pressure (commented on the case) - [Ivica Dačić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/ivica-dacic): He denied taking part in “secret parties” in Jagodina and said the case was politically motivated (commented on the case) - [Aleksandar Vučić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-vucic): He said police would question everyone, from Marković to Tepić, and called on those involved to come forward to the prosecutors (commented on the case) - [City of Jagodina](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/grad-jagodina): The criminal complaint filed against Tepić by 393 women employed in the city's public sector was submitted by the mayor's assistant, who said there had been no pressure (commented on the case) - [Radoslav Vučković](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/radoslav-vuckovic): He said the case was opened following Marković's initiative and that there were no grounds to move it out of Jagodina (investigation and courts) - [Majda Rakić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/majda-rakic): The case was assigned to her, and she said it was too early to comment or to say anything about detention (investigation and courts) - [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Jagodina](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-jagodina): It opened a case over the procuring allegations and proposed that the Kraljevo prosecution take it over (investigation and courts) - [Appellate Public Prosecutor's Office in Kragujevac](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ajt-kragujevac): Acting on the Jagodina prosecution's proposal, it authorised the Kraljevo prosecution to take charge of the case (investigation and courts) - [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Kraljevo](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-kraljevo): It said there were, for now, no grounds for criminal proceedings, explaining that the 30 citizens questioned had denied any knowledge (responsible) - [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for High-Tech Crime](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-beograd-vtk): Marković filed a criminal complaint with this prosecution office against the “protected witness” (investigation and courts) - [Marinika Tepić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/marinika-tepic): She released anonymous testimony about the procuring of underage girls, which she says is linked to Marković (oversight and the public) - [Sanda Rašković Ivić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/sanda-raskovic-ivic): Marković announced a criminal complaint against her “over lies” about him (oversight and the public) - [Party of Freedom and Justice](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ssp): She claims that a female official's flat was broken into, which she calls a message, and that a witness noticed being followed (oversight and the public) - [ASTRA – Anti-Trafficking Action](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/astra): She called on the prosecution and police to proactively investigate possible procuring, blackmail and human trafficking (oversight and the public) ## Sources - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Jagodina prosecutors open 'Palma' case file after allegations of pimping out underage girls](): 20 Apr 2021 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Palma on Marinika Tepić's allegations: I will go to the prosecutors myself](): 19 Apr 2021 - [Danas: Twist in the case of allegations against Dragan Marković Palma](): 23 Apr 2021 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Prosecutor: No grounds to move 'Palma' case out of Jagodina](): 22 Apr 2021 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Prosecutors move 'Palma' case from Jagodina to Kraljevo](): 23 Apr 2021 - [Al Jazeera Balkans: Prosecutors: 'Palma' case relocated to Kraljevo](): 23 Apr 2021 - [N1: Dragan Marković Palma files criminal complaint against "protected witness"](): 9 May 2021 - [Vreme: Is Jagodina's oberknez on his way down?](): 5 May 2021 - [N1: Marković: Judicial authorities should act on private lawsuits against Tepić](): 8 Sep 2021 - [021.rs: The "Palma" case: who is accusing, who is staying silent and who is changing their tune](): 26 Apr 2021 - [N1: "Palma" case moves to Kraljevo, while in Jagodina signatures are gathered in the mayor's office "without pressure"](): 23 Apr 2021 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Marković sues Marinika Tepić over new allegations of pimping out underage girls](): 11 Feb 2022 - [Večernje novosti: QUESTIONING BEGINS IN JAGODINA: Marinika Tepić gives police statement over allegations against Palma](): 26 Apr 2021 - [CentralMedia: Prosecutors: 21 people questioned in pre-investigation proceedings in the "Palma" case](): 13 May 2021 - [N1: Prosecutors: No evidence for now that women were pimped out in Jagodina](): 27 Aug 2021 - [Al Jazeera Balkans: The ‘Palma’ case: prosecutors find no evidence of pimping](): 28 Aug 2021 - [N1: Tepić: Prosecutors' decision on pimping in Jagodina shameful, but also dangerous](): 27 Aug 2021 - [N1: Tepić releases correspondence about alleged abuse of a girl at a party in Jagodina (Nova.rs)](): 11 Feb 2022 - [021.rs: Palma sues Marinika Tepić: She is part of an organised group of liars](): 11 Feb 2022 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Dragan Marković Palma, member of the National Assembly of Serbia, has died](): 22 Nov 2024 - [Vreme: Dragan Marković Palma has died](): 22 Nov 2024 --- Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/palma-jagodina As of: 4 Nov 2026 Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)