Court orders Serbia Govt. to give BIRN data on police vehicles procurement

The Network recalled that it demanded twice – in 2017 and 2018 – from the Government a copy of the Conclusion declaring the public procurement of Skoda vehicles for MUP confidential.

Since the copy was not provided, BIRN launched an administrative procedure and sued the Government for breaching the Law on Free Access to Information.

“Acting upon the lawsuit, the Administrative Court demanded twice that the Government respond to the charge, but it remained silent and failed to provide the Court with either an answer or the documents required,“ BIRN quoted the Court's ruling.

The verdict added that “the Administrative Court thus ruled that Serbia’s Government answers to BIRN whether it has the Conclusion and provide its copy within 15 days.”

MUP bought 710 Skoda patrol cars in September 2017 within the “Modernising MUP’s Vehicles' Stock” project.

BIRN said the purchase was declared a secret, but that it was later published that MUP bought 710 patrol cars from an old supplier who it earlier cooperated with. The price was said to have been some six million Euros, and that other offers from Fiat and Peugeot were less favourable.