An independent judiciary and the fight against corruption are key to Serbia’s progress, and especially to EU membership, the US Embassy in Belgrade announced after Ambassador Christopher Hill’s meeting with two transferred female prosecutors of the Belgrade High Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“An independent judiciary and the fight against corruption are key for Serbia’s progress, and especially for EU membership. The US fully supports Serbia in this effort and appreciates the partnership of professionals in the Prosecutor’s Office who are aware of this, such as Bojana Savović and Jasmine Paunović,” the embassy stated. USA on Instagram.
Along with that message, a joint photo of Hilo, Savović and Paunović was published.
Bojana Savović and Jasmina Paunović were deputy prosecutors in the High Public Prosecutor’s Office who investigated fraud in the state-owned company Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS). That case was taken from them after they were transferred from the Anti-Corruption Department to the General Crime Department, which happened after the arrest of six people suspected of damaging EPS for 7.5 million dollars.
The higher public prosecutor’s office stated that they were transferred in accordance with the regular annual plan, while part of the opposition and certain professional associations assessed that it was a matter of pressure on independent prosecutors. Prosecutor Nenad Stefanović, the first man of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office, denied those accusations.