Organized crime Prosecutor’s office opposes ruling party amendment

A statement said that the amendment which would end the temporary assignments of all prosecutors within 30 days of the date it takes effect would have serious, far-reaching consequences to the functioning of the judiciary system, adding that the TOK now has 20 prosecutors, 11 of who are on temporary assignment. The TOK said that the amendment would lead to the immediate deterioration of its efforts and operations and to the paralyzing of the Special Section on Organized Crime at the Higher Court in Belgrade, blocking the most serious cases.

The amendments was authored by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) MP Olja Petrovic and presented in parliament by fellow SNS MP Ugljesa Mrdic.

It recalled that the TOK never had the 25 prosecutors the law says it should have and that it now has 20 prosecutors including 11 who are on temporary duty in line with the existing law on public prosecution. “The amendment would significantly reduce the operational capacities and capabilities of the TOK because it would lose a significant number of public prosecutors and would mean a violent and immediate reduction of their number, diminishing its efficiency to a level which endangers the legal and effective activities in the most sensitive and exceptionally complex cases of trans-national organized crime and high-level corruption which are in various stages of proceedings from investigation to trial,” the TOK statement said.