Rade Basta Arrested Over 14.1m-Dinar Donations at Beogradske Elektrane

Rade Basta, Serbia's former economy minister and former director of the Belgrade heating utility JKP Beogradske Elektrane, was arrested early on Wednesday, 11 November, at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade (VJT) said he is suspected of approving donations worth 14.1 million dinars, about 120,000 euros, without legal grounds. Seven other people were arrested in the same operation.

What prosecutors allege

According to the VJT statement, Basta made ten decisions awarding donations between 27 November 2020 and 6 June 2022, in breach of the utility's rules on support for associations, organisations and individuals not employed by the company. Each payment exceeded 100,000 dinars. Recipients named by prosecutors include an equestrian club in Belgrade, a futsal club and a basketball club in Sopot, and two clubs in Mladenovac. Basta is suspected of a continued criminal offence of abuse of official position.

The utility's executive director for economic and financial affairs, identified by her initials, is suspected of aiding the offence by authorising the payments while allegedly knowing they broke the rules. Prosecutors say the legal representatives of five recipient organisations withdrew the money in cash, kept a commission and handed the rest to another suspect. Those suspects face money-laundering suspicions involving about 6 million dinars.

Next steps in the case

All eight suspects can be held for up to 48 hours and are to be questioned by the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption at the VJT in Belgrade. Early reports from Tanjug and N1, citing RTS, had put the alleged damage at tens of millions of dinars; the prosecution's own figure is 14.1 million. No statement from Basta or his lawyers had been published by Wednesday evening. As with all suspects, he is presumed innocent unless a court finds otherwise.

Who is Rade Basta

Basta served as minister of economy from October 2022 until 2023, when he was dismissed after publicly urging the government to impose sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. He was nominated by United Serbia, which then sought his removal from party and public posts. He later founded the European Path movement. The arrest is the latest in a series of corruption and abuse-of-office cases opened since the parliamentary election of 25 October.