Nebojša Stefanović

Serbian Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Tuesday denied having committed "any criminal act and especially I am not someone who is a conspirator against President [Aleksandar] Vucic" after a former colleague accused him of gaining access to transcripts of covertly recorded phone calls involving Vucic.

Officials from Serbia's ruling Serbian Progressive Party on Monday called for an investigation into Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic after a former Interior Ministry official, Dijana Hrkalovic, who is currently on trial for alleged influence-peddling, accused him of gaining access to transcripts of covertly-recorded phonecalls involving President Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia and Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Repubika Srpska, on Monday celerbrated Victory Day, the day when Russia marks its victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 with huge parades in Moscow.

At a time when support for Russia is controversial in Europe, EU candidate Serbia sent messages of support to the EU as well as Russia.

"I have just finished talking with the President of France, whom I thanked for the fair role that France and he personally have in relation to Serbia and its citizens. The conversation was essential and very specific on all burning issues in the Western Balkans, in addition, through the prism of all events in Eastern Europe.

Death threats and planned assassinations of President Vucic are so common in the regime media that no one takes them seriously now.

Dozens of times the public saw headlines to which they have since become resistant: "They are killing Vucic", "They wanted to blow up Vucic", "They are preparing a sniper for Vucic", "Eight murderers were waiting for Vucic …

In addition to the President of Serbia, the Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabi, Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin, ministers in the Government are also attending the central event...
The event is being held on the plateau in front of the "Serbia" Palace.

Nebojsa Stefanovic. Photo: EPA/JANOS MARJAI.

The Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime told BIRN on Thursday that it has asked the Interior Ministry's Service for the Fight against Organised Crime to probe allegations that a company connected to Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic's father bought weapons at preferential prices from the state arms manufacturer Krusik.

"In our party, there will be respect for everyone, but also assessment of everyone's mistakes and accountability. That is what is very important for a political party," Vucic emphasized.
"We will resolve our relations within our party," he said.

As meetings of city and municipal committees of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, begin throughout Serbia, some SNS boards have voted to dismiss Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, until recently one of the closest allies of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia's Defence Minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, was questioned on Thursday in the investigation into a former high police official, Goran Papic, who is suspected of returning a seized car to a member of the crime gang of Veljko Belivuk, who was recently arrested .

The Belgrade Higher Prosecution Office confirmed Stefanovic's interrogation took place but did not give out any details.