A former Serbian government minister and 11 others were arrested Thursday over the deadly collapse of a train station roof three weeks ago in which 15 people died.
The tragedy in the northern city of Novi Sad has fuelled a wave of anger in the Balkan nation, with many blaming the deaths on rampant corruption and lax oversight of construction projects.
The collapse came after years of renovation work on the station.
Prosecutors said 11 people, including a former construction minister, had been arrested, with a 12th person taken into custody later in the day.
But ex-minister Goran Vesic, who resigned three days after the November 1 collapse, denied that he had been held, writing on Facebook that he had “voluntarily responded” to police.
Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic, who was construction minister when work began on the station, was also forced to resign on Wednesday.
The opposition welcomed the arrests but protesters are demanding that the prime minister and the mayor of Novi Sad also quit, along with the prosecution of officials responsible for the tragedy.
But Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated late Thursday that there will be no further political resignations regarding the tragedy.
“For the first time in Serbia’s history, several individuals, including two ministers and others, have resigned even though it is not easy to connect them to what happened in Novi Sad,” Vucic said on national television.
As for potential new arrests, Vucic said that they fall under the jurisdiction of the prosecutor’s office, while criminal responsibility is determined by the courts.
– Untouchables ‘now trembling’ –
The Novi Sad prosecutor’s office said it has questioned over 70 people since the tragedy, but no arrests were made until Thursday morning, sparking criticism from the opposition, which has been demanding a faster investigation.
Opposition MPs have been blocking the entrance to the prosecutor’s office in Novi Sad for the last three days, occasionally scuffling with the police.
“Pressure and persistence have succeeded,” wrote opposition MP Marinika Tepic on X.
“I am certain these arrests would not have happened if we had not been so persistent. However, we are not satisfied with the charges being brought against them,” Tepic said, with the blockade of the prosecutor’s office still ongoing.
The protestors have also demanded the publication of the contracts signed with the companies involved in renovating the station.
A consortium of four companies — China Railway International, China Communications Construction, France’s Egis and Hungary’s Utiber — were in charge of the works.
The opposition Green-Left Front hailed the arrests.
“Those who portrayed themselves as untouchable (are) now trembling before justice, thanks to the pressure from citizens, the opposition, protests, and blockades. If Vesic can be held accountable, anyone can — citizen pressure brings change,” the party said.
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