30 INSPECTORS “HUNT” PROPERTY OF POLITICS: The training of special equipment that will implement the Law of Origin of Property began

As we were told in the Ministry of Finance, the special sector of the Tax Administration that will be in charge of the implementation of this law will have a total of 60 members.

The Ministry of the Interior, the SbN, the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Geodetic Authority of the Republic, the Mercantile Registers Agency and the Central Registry, Deposit and Compensation of Securities also their experts delegate to this special unit of the Tax Administration.

In addition to bills, real estate, savings, vehicles will also be checked, and if they all fail to prove they were legally acquired, they will face draconian fines and huge taxes.

According to the law, those who are suspected or determined to have, for a maximum of three consecutive calendar years, a difference of more than 150,000 euros between the increase in assets and the declared income, will be “affected.” Who will be checked will be determined by annual guidelines issued by the director of the Tax Administration, based on a risk analysis, but the process can also be initiated at the request of citizens or an institution.

In addition, the Law stipulates that the tax rate of up to 75 percent is levied on illegally acquired property, which is the difference between the increase in property and the declared income whose origin a person cannot prove.

Although many governments have promised in the last 20 years that an effective mechanism will be adopted to determine if someone got rich illegally, that work was ultimately completed only by the previous government of Ana Brnabić. The Law on the Determination of the Origin of Property and Special Tax was approved in February, entered into force on March 11, and will begin its implementation in just over three months, that is, as of March 2021.

This law should, to a large extent, end the long-standing practice of mutual accusations between the government and the opposition over the illegal acquisition of property.

The story about the property of politicians has risen again in recent days, when information about money and numerous luxury properties that are supposedly owned by the former mayor of Belgrade, Dragan Djilas, and his brother Gojko appeared in public. The story was also opened about the alleged involuntary spending of 2.5 million euros from Belgrade’s budget during the construction of the bridge over Ada, while the capital was led by Djilas. It was announced that the City of Belgrade will file criminal charges against unidentified persons in the coming days, in order for the prosecution to determine if and who was involved in acts of corruption during the construction of the bridge.

Illustration / Photo Depositphotos

The authorities have repeatedly said that they will not be protected when the law is applied, and President Aleksandar Vučić stressed that he “would like to be among the first to be questioned.” He added that neither his property nor that of his family has increased by one dinar since 2012, while many who came to power in 2003 and left in 2013 cannot say that.

AND FAMILY UNDER THE MAGNIFIER

ALL officials are obliged to report all their assets to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption: earnings, real estate and own vehicles, as well as savings and shares in companies. They are also required to report any changes in assets. After the approval of the Corruption Law in September, the Agency can carry out a direct inspection of all the documents necessary for its work, as well as in case of discrepancies in the data, it also verifies the property of the relatives of the public official.