The infamous sound cannons, which the government initially claimed the Serbian police does not have, were procured through the company "Romax trade." This company and its owner, Goran Rodic, have a license to trade in weapons, access to "highly classified information," and deal in various goods—from plumbing installations to Wi-Fi equipment. They are linked to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, and it is known that Rodic was one of the financiers of Dragica Nikolic’s foundation.
Member of Parliament in Serbia, Marinika Tepic, stated that the Ministry of Internal Affairs procured 16 sound cannons of two different types through the company “Romax trade.”
She revealed at a press conference that the company’s specification shows that 81 million dinars (around 700,000 euros) were allocated in 2021 for the procurement of sound cannons and accompanying equipment. The deal was made while Aleksandar Vulin was the Minister of Internal Affairs, and it was a direct contract.
Thus, in the ongoing public discussion about the sound cannons and their origins within the Serbian police, the name of the private company „Romax trade“ appears, which, at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, secured the sound cannons of varying strengths. A state-owned company for arms trading prepared the contract, reports Nova.rs.
Connections to Aleksandar Vulin
„Romax trade“ and its owner, Goran Rodic, are rarely seen in public, and when they do appear, they are most often linked to the name of the current Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and former Minister of Internal Affairs and Defense, Aleksandar Vulin, reports Nova.rs. Media outlets wrote in 2020 that the Ministry of Defense, which was headed by Vulin at the time, advanced 458 million dinars to the company „Romax trade.“ The publicly available report did not specify what goods were paid for or the exact amounts.
Besides the connections between Goran Rodic and Vulin in Novi Sad, it is also known that Rodic was one of the financial supporters of Dragica Nikolic’s foundation.
The company, as seen on the Agency for Business Registers portal, was established 32 years ago, in March 1993, but based on publicly available data, one could conclude that its business boom is primarily tied to the rule of the Serbian Progressive Party.
Recent Business Surge
Media outlets also noted a more significant business jump of the company three years ago. In 2015, the company had a turnover of 172 million dinars, approximately 1.5 million euros. By 2016, their turnover jumped to 421 million dinars, about 3.5 million euros, and in 2017 to 532 million dinars, around 4.5 million euros. According to their 2018 report, Romax trade had 206 million dinars in revenue on the domestic market and 438 million dinars abroad, almost 5.5 million euros.
Financial data for recent years, available through the financial reports on the Agency for Business Registers website, shows the company’s continued business growth. Their net profit for 2023 was 236,099,000 dinars, around two million euros, while in 2022 it was 187,256,000 dinars, approximately 1.5 million euros.
„Romax trade,“ as mentioned in its founding act, started as a sole proprietorship. However, in 2012, it expanded into a limited liability company for wholesale trade, and soon after, it gained three branches. Two are located in Novi Sad for non-specialized wholesale and retail trade of new products in specialized stores.
The third branch of the company, perhaps the most interesting and secretive, is located in Belgrade and registered for specialized programs. This branch has been registered for foreign trade in controlled goods since 2013, in accordance with legal regulations. It is also listed as a company allowed by the state to trade in weapons, and it has certificates for accessing information classified as „confidential“ and „strictly confidential.“
Weapon Trade License and Confidentiality Certificates
According to the document from the Council for National Security and Protection of Classified Information, they were issued a certificate in December 2015 for access to secret data with a „confidential“ classification, valid until December 1, 2025. The same body issued them a certificate in May 2022 for access to data classified as „strictly confidential,“ valid until March 2027.
The company’s website does not show the latest decision extending the license for another five years, but given the company’s successful financial records and the deals they secured in the past year, there is no doubt they will obtain this extension.
Regarding the specialized program’s activities, or the trade in weapons and other tasks with „confidential“ and „strictly confidential“ designations, we can only speculate. However, from publicly available data, it is evident that the company’s branches in Novi Sad are achieving business successes.
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