SOURCE: Blic, Željka Jevtić

Serbian Government got a letter from Brussels in which it is stated that a process which has to be absolute priority is tackling cases of high corruption. As ‘Blic’ learns there are 24 cases of privatization targeted in the letter which need to be investigated. Settlement of those cases Brussels is not setting as a condition to Belgrade, but announces it as a part of an unavoidable process that is waiting Serbia upon getting of the candidate status.

The letter does not specify a name of a single businessman but only cases suspected to be disputable. As ‘Blic’ learns in the list there are at least five Milan Beko’s companies privatization of which is considered to be suspicious. One of them is the ‘Port of Belgrade’.

Apart from companies, Brussels wants to know if there are elements of highcorruption in giving certain import permits but also in case of land giving. These cases concern permits for sugar export to the EU countries in 2001 and giving 16 hectares of land in Belgrade to Miroslav Miskovic without compensation.

By this letter European partners sent a well-intended message to the authorities in Serbia which points to a problem that might slow the country in the following phase of its European integration process.

Milan Beko

The prosecution has been already acting as per certain cases that Brussels is interested in. The actual Serbian Government can be happy about the fact that none of the disputable privatizations or sales took place during its mandate.

‘Tackling high corruption shall be carried out in two directions. One shall have to show to what extent absence of or incomplete legal regulation has led to disputable privatizations. The other one is repressive what means that all cases shall be investigated. This has to be done not only because of obligation that Serbia has to fulfill on its path to the EU but because of better life of our citizens as well’, ‘Blic’ source from Serbian Government says.

Serbia President Boris Tadic announced two days ago severe fight againstcorruption in his statement to media.