BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s public prosecutor on Monday indicted 13 people, including a former minister, over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people last month and triggered weeks of massive anti-government protests.
The suspects were charged in the northern city of Novi Sad, where the collapse happened on Nov. 1, with committing a grave criminal act against public safety and irregular execution of construction work. If convicted, they face up to 12 years in prison.
The huge concrete canopy was part of a railway station building, which was renovated twice in recent years as part of a wider infrastructure deal with Chinese companies. Many in Serbia believe that the work on the station was sloppy due to rampant corruption, and caused the canopy to crash down.
Initially 14 people were killed and three injured and one later died in a hospital. Widespread anger over the fall has triggered weeks of street protests against populist President Aleksandar Vuci c and his government.
The indictment has to be confirmed by a court to become valid. The prosecutor in Novi Sad also called for the suspects to be detained pending the proceedings against them. Apart from former Construction Minister Goran Vesic, others include officials and those who were in charge of the renovation work.
Vesic was detained several weeks ago but was released, fueling doubts about the investigation and the independence of the Serbian judiciary under the populist government, which holds a tight grip on all state institutions, including the judiciary.
It was not immediately clear when a trial could start.
Persistent street protests and a strike by university students in Serbia have challenged Vucic’s hold on power. The Serbian leader formally seeks European Union membership for his nation but he has faced accusations of curbing democratic freedoms rather than advancing them.
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