Serbian court clears ex-minister in 2024 roof collapse case

A Serbian court has dropped a case against the country’s former transport minister’s involvement in a fatal disaster that killed 16 people when a railway roof collapsed in 2024, citing a lack of evidence.

In September this year, former construction, infrastructure and transport minister Goran Vesić and 12 others, including his aide and the railway company head, were indicted on public safety charges, as reported by Balkan Insight.

The case evolves around the tragic November 2024 incident where a canopy at a newly renovated railway station collapsed in the country’s second-largest city, killing 16 people. The resulting deaths saw a wave of protests alleging negligence sweep across the country for months, with some calling for early elections. 

The Higher Court in Novi Sad this week dismissed part of the indictment and halted criminal proceedings against six individuals, including Vesić, who stepped down just days after the accident.

The court said it “found there was insufficient evidence to establish a reasonable suspicion that the accused committed the criminal offences charged,” as cited by the publication.

Those cleared also include Jelena Tanasković, who was serving as acting director of Serbian Railways Infrastructure at the time, former acting assistant construction minister Anita Dimoski, and three expert supervisors.

Prosecutors said they would appeal the ruling, insisting that “the evidence collected clearly established reasonable suspicion against all defendants”.

Charges remain in force against the other seven suspects, among them Nebojša Šurlan, who headed Serbian Railways Infrastructure when the accident occurred.

Vesić, meanwhile, remains under house arrest in connection with a separate investigation by Serbia’s corruption and organized crime prosecutor into the financial aspects of the case. That probe involves 13 people, including former minister Tomislav Momirović, who previously led the ministry for internal and foreign trade.

Separately, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched its own ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of EU funds linked to the reconstruction project.

By Nazrin Sadigova