Revealed: Serbian ruler’s secret role in ‘illegal’ effort to help Trump business
Exclusive: Aleksandar Vučić personally intervened to push plans for controversial $500m Trump Tower in Belgrade, which sparked protests and a criminal case Serbia’s authoritarian ruler personally intervened to advance an allegedly illegal scheme to hand over a protected site in Belgrade for a Trump tower, the Guardian can reveal. Aleksandar Vučić summoned officials to a meeting at his…
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić personally intervened in a controversial plan for a $500 million Trump Tower in Belgrade, sparking protests and a criminal case. The project aimed to override the protected status of a historic building, the General Staff building, which was crucial in the fight against Nazi occupation during World War II.
After charges of abuse of public office were brought against senior figures from Vučić's regime, Kushner's company announced the project would not proceed. Vučić threatened prosecutors, calling them "corrupt gangs" who fabricated cases. The Serbian government signed a contract on May 13, 2024, allowing Kushner's company to lease the General Staff building site for 99 years without charge.
The meeting where Vučić initially discussed the scheme with Kushner's representatives was not mentioned in the indictment, raising questions about the prosecutors' investigation.
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