Stefanovic: Fifteen people, including Obrenovac mayor, arrested for office abuse

BELGRADE - The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade Nenad Stefanovic said on Wednesday 15 people, including Milorad Grcic, incumbent mayor of Belgrade's Obrenovac municipality and a former acting director of the national power company EPS, had been arrested earlier in the day on suspicion of office abuse in public procurements for the company.

The group is suspected of causing financial damage to the public enterprise in excess of 1 mln euros and obtaining illicit gains in the same amount, Stefanovic told a press conference.

"Some of the accused are also charged with giving and receiving bribe in the form of monetary gifts they further covered up by committing the criminal offence of money laundering. The Prosecutor's Office will also order a financial investigation against the suspects and people associated with them," Stefanovic added.

He noted that this was just the start of a major anti-corruption crackdown that would be continued in the coming days.

Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced a fierce anti-corruption drive in all spheres of society.