Serbia arrests police chief for abuse of office after election

Serbian authorities arrested Marko Kricak, head of the criminal police directorate, on suspicion of abuse of office, state media reported. Kricak is accused of suppressing and manipulating an investigation into the May murder of a suspected underworld figure in a Belgrade restaurant, according to DW English.

Kricak, 42, is seen as a loyalist to Aleksandar Vucic, the defeated Serbian president whose right-wing populist party lost parliamentary elections on October 25. Student groups had accused Kricak of brutality in police responses to anti-Vucic demonstrations and demanded his removal, Al Jazeera reported.

Belgrade's chief prosecutor, Nenad Stefanovic, denied any connection between Kricak's arrest and the recent elections or student demands. Stefanovic said the arrest related to allegations of abuse of office and failure to uphold duties, which caused harm to the rights of the former police chief Veselin Milic.

Alongside Kricak, Bosko Sekulovic, the police commander fighting organized crime, was also arrested. The allegations emerged from an investigation into the murder and subsequent legal action by Milic, who accused them of providing false evidence while in custody.

The arrest is being viewed as a sign that the influence of the former Vucic regime is weakening in Serbia's police and intelligence institutions, according to DW English. The political context includes the recent historic victory of the student-backed opposition Student List, which ended 14 years of rule by Vucic's party.