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Dragan Veselinov

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Dragan Veselinov (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Веселинов) is a Serbian politician, currently[citation needed] president of the People's Peasant Party. As the president of the People's Peasant Party (founded in 1990), he was among few Serbians to go openly against the Serbian nationalist policies of Slobodan Milošević and his allies in the early 1990s.[1] He previously served as Minister of Agriculture in the Serbian government. He served under two prime ministers, Zoran Đinđić and Zoran Živković, from 2001 until 2003, before resigning under public pressure when his chauffeur-driven government-issued vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian on a sidewalk in Belgrade.

Car crash and ministrial resignation

On April 15, 2003, around 9:40 am, a government-issued Mitsubishi Pajero SUV driven by Stevan Bakalov with Veselinov and his bodyguard in the back seat and rotation lights turned on was heading down Beogradska Street towards Slavija Square in downtown Belgrade. At the intersection with Njegoševa Street, the SUV struck a white Mercedes 190 taxi, then lost control and ended up on the sidewalk where three pedestrians were waiting to cross the street. The SUV struck the three pedestrians before slamming into a traffic pole and stopping. Thirty-two-year-old pedestrian Katarina Marić died instantly while the other pedestrian, Srbislav Ćirić, was heavily injured.[2]

Veselinov initially did not show the intention of resigning, until public pressure grew,[3] that he also experienced pressure from within the government to do so. He announced his resignation on May 29, 2003.[4]

The court process in this case started when district public prosecutors office issued an indictment against Bakalov in late May 2004, more than a year after the accident.[5] Eventually, on March 2, 2006, Veselinov's driver Bakalov received a five-year prison sentence for "causing the traffic accident".[6] The judicial council presided over by judge Branka Pejović found Bakalov guilty of driving at higher than allowed speed and running a red light. On appeal, the sentence was then reduced to four years in May 2007.[7] Bakalov served his sentence in the Zabela prison in Požarevac.[8]

On March 3, 2009, Veselinov was questioned on suspicion that he testified falsely during trial, lying about the car going through on a green light.[9]

References

  1. ^ Belgrade Journal; Double-Headed Eagle Cries to Serbs for Revenge, by Celestine Bohlen for The New York Times, September 12, 1990
  2. ^ Zločin bez kazne, Kurir, April 14, 2004
  3. ^ Saučešće uz bećarac, NIN, April 24, 2003
  4. ^ Veselinov podneo ostavku, B92, May 29, 2003
  5. ^ Mihajlović štitio ubice moje kćerke, Glas javnosti, June 3, 2004
  6. ^ Stevan Bakalov osuđen na pet godina zatvora, Glas javnosti, March 3, 2006
  7. ^ Godišnjica pogibije Katarine Marić, B92, April 15, 2008
  8. ^ Porodici poginule Katarine Marić odšteta od 5.000 evra, Vesti online, August 5, 2012
  9. ^ Saslušan Dragan Veselinov, B92, March 4, 2009
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