Serbia’s Top Criminal Police Chiefs Detained Over Senjak Murder Probe
A Belgrade court ordered up to 30 days in custody for Marko Kričak and Boško Sekulović, suspected of abusing office in the restaurant “27” murder case.
The Higher Court in Belgrade overnight on 2–3 November ordered up to 30 days of detention for Marko Kričak, head of the police Criminal Police Directorate (UKP), and Boško Sekulović, head of the Service for Suppression of Crime — two of the most senior detectives in Serbia. Both are suspected of abuse of office in connection with the investigation into a murder at the restaurant “27” in Belgrade’s Senjak district in May.
The court said there were special circumstances indicating that, if released, the two men would obstruct the proceedings by influencing witnesses. The ruling can be appealed to the criminal panel of the court’s Special Department for Suppression of Corruption.
What prosecutors allege
According to the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, between 12 May and 3 June the two officers exceeded or abused their powers and failed to perform their duties while handling the case, harming the rights of a former Belgrade police chief identified by the initials V.M. Serbian media identify him as Veselin Milić, who was arrested in the case on 15 May and is defending himself at liberty after prosecutors filed an indictment proposal against him in July.
Kričak faces a second allegation: that on 16 May, together with officers who have not yet been identified, he mistreated and tortured the restaurant’s owner, identified as N.L., on UKP premises. Prosecutors had earlier confirmed that statements from four suspects who said they had been beaten by police were forwarded on suspicion of abuse and torture.
These are allegations at the stage of reasonable suspicion; neither man has been indicted. What they told prosecutors has not been made public, and the Interior Ministry had not commented on the detention by the time of publication.
The Senjak murder case
Aleksandar Nešović was shot dead at the restaurant on 12 May. His body was found in a barrel in the municipality of Inđija on 21 May. Saša Vuković has been charged with aggravated murder, and several others, including friends of his and restaurant staff, are suspected of helping to conceal the crime and the body.
How the arrests unfolded
Kričak and Sekulović were arrested on the morning of Sunday, 1 November, by the police anti-corruption service acting on the prosecutor’s orders, and held for up to 48 hours before questioning. Chief prosecutor Nenad Stefanović confirmed the measure. Kričak had led the UKP for just over a year, after heading the police unit that protects officials and facilities.
Why it matters
It is rare in Serbia for the heads of the criminal police to be taken into custody by their own prosecutors. The case will test whether the courts and the prosecution can handle allegations against senior police officers openly, and accountability of institutions has been a central demand of the protests of the past two years.
Sources
- N1 — What Kričak and Sekulović are suspected of (in Serbian)
- Tanjug — Court orders up to 30 days’ detention (in Serbian)
- B92 — Court orders detention for Kričak and Sekulović (in Serbian)
- Mondo — Police chiefs detained to prevent influence on witnesses (in Serbian)
- Euronews Srbija — Kričak and Sekulović arrested over the Senjak case (in Serbian)
This report is written by The Serbian Review from the sources listed above; facts are attributed where they could not be independently verified. Spotted an error? See our Corrections Policy.
