Four arrested in Novi Sad on suspicion of buying votes for the "Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia" list
Three suspects confessed; prosecutors say one vote was sold for 6,000 dinars and an inquiry into money origins and wider links continues.
Four people were arrested in Novi Sad on suspicion of buying and selling votes for the electoral list "Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia" in Serbia’s snap parliamentary election held on 25 October. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on 2 November that three of the suspects confessed to the acts they are charged with.
According to the prosecutor’s office, one vote was sold for 6,000 Serbian dinars (about 3,140 Macedonian denars). The indictment summary says suspect M.Đ. gave K.A. 30,000 dinars, of which K.A. kept 6,000 for his own vote and then on 1 November paid 6,000 dinars each to K.B. and T.J. for voting for the same list. How the remaining funds were distributed and whether there were more payments has not been disclosed.
Investigation and legal framework
The four are suspected of giving and receiving a bribe in connection with voting, an offence under Serbian law punishable by a fine or up to three years in prison, with tougher penalties for certain officials. One suspect, M.Đ., was placed in custody for up to 48 hours pending questioning. The prosecutor’s office said it is continuing to collect evidence; the origin of the money, possible involvement of others and any organised structure have not yet been established.
The reported payments have been linked in media accounts to the "Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia" list, but so far no evidence has been published showing that Vučić, the leadership of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) or the campaign headquarters organised or financed the scheme. There has been no confirmed official reaction from SNS regarding the arrests.
The arrests follow multiple complaints of electoral irregularities in Novi Sad and other parts of Vojvodina. On election day prosecutors ordered urgent police checks after citizen reports, while the civic movement Bravo reported suspected vote buying and parallel voter lists. Councillor Miran Pogačar said suspicious persons near the FK Mladost GAT stadium left before irregularities could be confirmed and that in the Klisa neighbourhood activists reported parallel lists at the "Duško Radović" school; he added there were arguments and insults but no physical fights, concluding that "the election day is magnificent".
Independent monitoring and reporting also flagged problems: an analysis published on 29 October noted remarks at 35 polling stations in Novi Sad, mainly for photographing ballots, group voting and technical issues, while OSCE/ODIHR observers on 26 October cited political polarisation, misuse of state resources and reported pressure on voters—although most polling stations observed received a positive assessment overall. So far there is no information that the arrests have changed or overturned election results. The prosecutor will decide whether to press charges; all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Photo: press material from the event
