Law & Justice

Serbian Police Chief Arrested on Abuse of Office Charges

By Al Jazeera Staff

Serbian authorities have detained Marko Kricak, the head of the country’s criminal police directorate, on suspicion of abuse of office. Kricak, 42, was arrested on Sunday together with Bosko Sekulovic, the police commander responsible for fighting organised crime. Chief prosecutor Nenad Stefanovic said the two were suspected of abusing their positions and failing to uphold their duties, thereby causing prejudice and serious harm to the rights of former Belgrade police chief Veselin Milic.

The allegations emerged during an investigation into the murder of a suspected criminal underworld figure in a Belgrade restaurant in May. Milic, who was arrested days after the murder for failing to report the crime and assisting the perpetrator, has initiated legal action while in custody against Kricak and Sekulovic. He accuses them of providing prosecutors with incomplete and false evidence.

Kricak is viewed as a loyalist to the defeated former President Aleksandar Vucic. Student groups had accused him of “brutality” in the police response to demonstrations that contributed to the fall of Vucic’s ruling right‑wing party. Last week, students demanded his removal along with several other police and intelligence chiefs as part of sweeping reforms. The prosecutor’s office, however, stated that there is no link between Kricak’s arrest and the students’ demands or the recent legislative elections.

The arrests come as Serbia observes the second anniversary of the Novi Sad railway station disaster, which killed 16 people when a concrete canopy collapsed at the newly renovated station. Thousands gathered in Novi Sad on Sunday to mark the day, observing 16 minutes of silence—one minute for each victim—and marching silently through the rain with wreaths. "It’s hard to go back to the place where it all happened," said Dijana Hrka, whose 27‑year‑old son Stefan was among the victims. She added, "I believe justice will be served."

Students released a statement describing the event as more than a tragedy, arguing that the word conceals the responsibility they seek. The collapse sparked Serbia’s largest protests since the fall of former President Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned in January 2025, and Vucic stepped down as president in September to lead his party’s list, pardoning students and activists prosecuted over the protests.