Sasa Jankovic: I will look into demolition and balaclavas in Hercegovacka Street

“Allegations of balaclavas, tying up and mistreatment during demolition of structures in BG (Belgrade) and police failure to show up will be looked into and the public informed,” Jankovic tweeted.

No answer to who has been demolishing in Belgrade

The question of who has been tearing down buildings in Belgrade remains unanswered. Three days ago, in the night of Sunday to Monday (April 24 to 25), someone sent three bulldozers and, according to multiple witnesses, 30-odd men with balaclavas and baseball bats as “assistance,” to level several structures in Hercegovacka Street.

The only official response to the event came from Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali, who said the City of Belgrade had nothing to do with it.

Why is MUP silent?

Though it all happened three days ago, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) has issued no statements.

Insajder.net contacted the MUP media office, where we learned that they knew nothing of the incident. We relayed the information we have to MUP, but received no response.

MUP’s silence on these events is strange, to say the least - unacceptable even. As anyone who works in media knows, MUP and various police stations send press releases to media daily, even about arrests related to petty theft.
 

Sabic got a promise that the case will be investigated

Rodoljub Sabic, the commissioner for information of public importance and personal data protection, has announced that he “had talks both with the minister of internal affairs and the state prosecutor and received assurances from them that they would undertake every measure within their authority to shed light on the case.”

The case became public when Sabic sent a letter to the mayor of the capital urging the city authorities to release all relevant information on the circumstances under which part of Belgrade’s Savamala quarter, on the corner of Hecegovacka and Mostarska streets, was razed in the night of April 25.

According to reports the commissioner received from citizens, around 30 masked men, balaclavas over their heads and baseball bats in their hands, employed bulldozers to level structures totaling some 1,000 square meters, which were being used by private users.

According to the citizen reports, Sabic said, before they began to tear down the structures, the men in balaclavas tied up the night guard and took away his mobile phone.

Sinisa Mali sent an answer to the commissioner on April 27: “Having received feedback, I can inform you that no service of the City operated during the mentioned night, nor were the representatives of any service of the City on the mentioned site. Therefore, I affirm that the City of Belgrade had nothing to do with the event the citizens have informed you about. Personally, I believe that the claims in your letter indicate that it is necessary to address the state bodies which have exclusive jurisdiction to act in connection with such information,” the mayor’s reply reads.

Sabic, however, rated the response as unacceptable and “completely inadequate to the city authorities’ obligations to the public.”