The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has informed Radio Free Europe (RFE) that it is investigating potential misuse of European Union (EU) funds related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station.

On November 1, 2024, a canopy collapsed from a station building in Novi Sad, resulting in the tragic deaths of fifteen individuals and leaving two others seriously injured.

The EPPO stated that jurisdiction regarding fraud associated with EU funds allocated to non-EU nations must be determined by the prosecution.

Among these nations is Serbia, which is currently a candidate for EU membership.

“Since damage to the financial interests of the Union forms a crucial part of the fraud offense, if such damage occurs in Belgium or Luxembourg (where the funds are disbursed, as the EU institutions are based there), the jurisdiction lies with those Member States and consequently with the EPPO, irrespective of where the offense took place, such as in a third country,” the EPPO elaborated.

The EPPO has also noted that further details of the investigation cannot be disclosed to protect its integrity.

The tragic incident in Novi Sad transpired just four months after the official reopening of the reconstructed Railway Station, which had undergone three years of renovations.

This reconstruction was part of a larger project aimed at modernizing the Novi Sad – Subotica – Hungarian border railway, developed by the Serbian division of the China Railway Design Corporation along with the CIP Transport Institute from Serbia.

The actual construction was carried out by the Chinese consortium CRIC&CCCC, comprised of China Railway International Co. Ltd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd.

The contract established between Serbian authorities and the Chinese partners regarding this project remains confidential.

Multiple investigations are underway concerning the canopy’s collapse. On December 30, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad charges were filed against thirteen individuals, suspected of negligence during the canopy’s reconstruction.

Among those charged are the former Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesić, his assistant Anita Dimoski, and the former director of the public company “Infrastrukture Železnice Srbije” Jelena Tanasković.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime in Belgrade is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into the financing of the Novi Sad Railway Station renovation project.

In the aftermath of the incident, widespread protests erupted throughout Serbia, with numerous students blocking the operations of various faculties nationwide. They are demanding, among other things, the release of all documents related to the Novi Sad Railway Station reconstruction.

While government officials assert that this demand has been met, representatives from expert groups at Belgrade University contest this, leading the students to continue their protests.

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