Phones and watches gifted to Novi Sad intervention police

Category: Money and deals

Period: from Mar 2025

Outcome: Under investigation (as of 29 Apr 2025)

In a criminal complaint, the Bravo movement says that the head of the Novi Sad Police Department, Nikola Petrović, gave Samsung S25 mobile phones and smartwatches to commanders of the Intervention Police Unit. Mayor Žarko Mićin says the City did not gift them, and minister Ivica Dačić had no information. Novica Antić also filed a criminal complaint, and lawyer Ivan Ninić filed a complaint with the Internal Control Sector. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad is conducting pre-investigation proceedings and has taken statements from Petrović and 34 other people; a decision has yet to be made.

What is alleged

According to the criminal complaint filed by the Bravo movement, from early March to 23 March 2025 Petrović gave Samsung S25 mobile phones and smartwatches to Intervention Police platoon commanders on the premises of the Novi Sad Police Administration. Bravo asks where a police official got such expensive devices and why he was handing them out to commanders.

Asked about this by Danas, Petrović replied that it should contact the public relations office.

Who bought the devices

Mayor Mićin told Danas on 24 March 2025 that the City had not given phones or smartwatches to anyone, police officers included. Minister Dačić said he had no information about it, and the Interior Ministry had not answered Danas's questions by 28 March.

Lawyer Ninić is asking for it to be established who donated the devices and why, what they are worth and where the money to obtain them came from.

Complaints and demands

The Bravo movement filed a complaint for bribery, and Antić, former president of the Military Trade Union of Serbia, for misappropriation. Antić says he filed it because the same prosecutor's office charged him over handing out phones to union members, so he sees „selective application of the law“.

Miran Pogačar of Bravo supplemented the complaint on 2 April and says he knows the names of the police officers who received the devices. Bravo is demanding that the department head be suspended until the proceedings end, and the Professional Police Association is asking the minister to investigate the allegations.

The prosecution's proceedings

The Special Anti-Corruption Department of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad opened pre-investigation proceedings and confirmed on 29 April 2025 that it had taken statements from Petrović and 34 other police officers and other people. It has sent requests for information; once the data arrive and the files are analysed, a prosecutorial decision will be made or further checks carried out.

On 5 May 2025, the Internal Control Sector replied to Ninić that, on the prosecution's orders, it had forwarded his complaint to that department.

Participants

Nikola Petrović: He allegedly handed out mobile phones and smartwatches to commanders of the Police Intervention Unit; criminal complaints were filed against him for bribery and embezzlement (responsible)
Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad: Its Special Anti-Corruption Department is conducting a pre-investigation procedure and has taken statements from 35 people, including the police chief (investigation and courts)
Internal Control Sector of the Interior Ministry (MUP): On the prosecutor's orders, it forwarded lawyer Ninić's complaint about the gifts to police officers to the Special Anti-Corruption Department (investigation and courts)
Ivan Ninić: He filed a complaint with the Internal Affairs Sector, asking it to establish who donated the devices, how much they are worth and where the money came from (oversight and the public)
Bravo Civic Movement: It filed a criminal complaint for bribery, later supplemented it, and asked for the police chief to be suspended until the proceedings are over (oversight and the public)
„Dr Rudolf Arčibald Rajs“ Police Professional Association: It asked Minister Dačić to urgently look into whether the claims about gifts to the Intervention Unit in Novi Sad are accurate (oversight and the public)
Žarko Mićin: He told Danas that the City had not given phones or smartwatches to anyone, police officers included (commented on the case)
Ivica Dačić: He told Danas he had no information whatsoever about the gifts and told the paper to email its questions to the ministry (commented on the case)