Serbia: Police chief arrested after election for abuse of office
The head of Serbia's criminal police directorate, Marko Kricak, has been arrested and charged with abuse of office, state media reported on Sunday.
Kricak is accused of suppressing and manipulating an investigation into the May murder of a suspected criminal underworld figure in a Belgrade restaurant. The 42-year-old was seen as a supporter of Vucic, whose right-wing populist camp was defeated by the Student List in parliamentary elections on October 25.
Political connections
Student groups had accused Kricak of "brutality" in police responses to peaceful anti-Vucic demonstrations. The removal of Kricak and other Vucic loyalists was one of the student movement's key demands. However, Belgrade's chief prosecutor denied any connection between these demands and Kricak's arrest.
This arrest has no link with ... the result of the legislative elections.
Career and allegations
Kricak worked as a car salesman before joining the BIA and became a loyal supporter of Vucic's party. He was appointed commander of the Serbian police's personal protection unit in July 2023, where he allegedly led the abduction of university students, assaulting one and threatening to rape her in a government basement.
Despite the prosecutor's denial, the arrest of a senior police officer close to the former regime is seen as evidence of the Vucic system's strongholds slowly eroding. Kricak was appointed head of the Serbian Criminal Police at the end of 2025.
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