Detentions, resignations, probes shake Serbia after students toppled Vucic in election

BELGRADE, Serbia, Nov 3, (AP): Detentions, resignations, switching of sides, attempts to destroy evidence of wrongdoing. News has been coming in at such a pace in the wake of former Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic's electoral defeat on Oct. 25 that a website dubbed ‘system breakdown’ has been formed, with AI feeding the information in real time.

From high school students catching their principal supposedly trying to destroy documentation to the closure of a bank believed linked to the now-ousted Serbian Progressive Party, the turn of events has gripped Serbia's public in the post-election week. Somewhat chaotic reports are seen as a sign that Vucic's carefully crafted power system is collapsing swiftly following the stunning victory of a student movement at the early parliamentary ballot.

The Students' List winners are yet to formally take over power in the government administration, security agencies and the army. But the seismic shift in the balance of power is pushing events to unfold before the actual takeover takes place. Despite the electoral defeat, a defiant Vucic - now described as the leader of opposition - has continued with his daily appearances on loyal media, accusing the student-led movement of "revolutionary terror” and vowing to fight back.

On Sunday evening, Vucic told Pink television that "naturally, this is hard for my family and those who love me, but I am ready for everything and I will persist through anything.” Denying crime links, Vucic said he is not afraid of possible arrest because there will be no evidence against him. "I don’t sign anything ... and nothing will be found,” he said. "They don’t have anything.”

Jailed officials so far include Vucic’s chief of criminal police, Marko Kricak, and another senior police official, both suspected of abuse of office in connection with a high-profile murder investigation. Kricak was notorious over accusations that he personally threatened a female student with rape during anti-government protests, but he was not jailed over those allegations.

On Monday, authorities also detained Davor Macura, the owner of private Alta Bank, which is believed to be linked to Vucic’s SNS party and whose license has been revoked. Macura was allegedly caught trying to siphon away millions of dollars and faces charges of abuse of office. While waiting to form the new government, the election winners have called on prosecutors and judges to start doing their jobs or step down.

Scores of investigations into alleged top-level corruption cases remained incomplete under the previous government, including one into a Nov. 1, 2024, train station tragedy that triggered two years of anti-graft protests. Now, the Serbian public is waiting to hear what will come out of a review into some of the longstanding probes after the student movement promised there will no longer be untouchable officials.