The Mayor of Belgrade has failed to implement a ruling by the Office of the Public Information Commissioner instructing him to tell the Anti-Corruption Council whether he has a copy of the contract regulating the costs of the services performed on the construction land for the Belgrade Waterfront.

A statement from the Commissioner’s office said that the ruling had been sent to Mayor Zoran Radoicic on May 9, telling him to send a copy of the contract to the Agency. Belgrade city hall received the ruling on May 14 and had a deadline of May 17 to implement it.  

The Anti-Corruption Council appealed to the Office of the Commissioner, complaining that the Belgrade city authorities and the Mayor were keeping quiet about the contract.  

“This case is an illustration of a negative trend and impermissible and illegal behaviour by public authorities in terms of free access to information of public importance. A huge number of complaints (more than 80 percent) filed with the Office of the Commissioner are over the silence of the administration,” the statement said and added that in cases of projects which are important to Belgrade and all of Serbia with increased public interest, information should be provided voluntarily.