After four years of hiding in the archives of the Commercial Court, two revisions went to the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC).

The case of ATP "Vojvodina" has been under the monitoring of the European Commision , from 2012, as one of the five biggest cases within 24 disputed privatisation processes, but the only one in which the investor, not the state, was harmed. Besides, the pressure of criminal circles translated into political protection; all these years have led to the seizure of my property, on which I have regularly informed the public.

Let me remind you, I bought the ATP "Vojvodina" in 2004, and in the first year Ifulfilled the investment plan, bought new buses, expanded the business, hired 200new workers, brought a "Setra" and "Mercedes" dealership and became an authorized service centre. I signed a contract with the City of Novi Sad, according to which I built the new bus station, while the City was supposed to redirect bus traffic to that location. But the attractive business plan attracted the interest of criminal groups that enjoyed political support.

The company was brought into a staged bankruptcy, and the manager who ran it did everything to prevent proceedings for compensation claims, so as an intervener with my team, I conducted proceedings as if ATP "Vojvodina" was my opponent. Thus, in 2013, I received a legally enforceable judgment for the first four years of the contract. That's when the mayor of Novi Sad, Miloš Vučević, got involved. He exerted pressure in all the courts, publicly threatened me personally at the session of the Assembly of the City of Novi Sad, and at the same time politically influenced the appointment of judges in all the courts where ATP "Vojvodina" cases are heard.
12.09.2022. Press Release: HOW HAVE JUDGES ASSISTED IN THE SEIZURE OF MY PROPERTY

The first verdict, according to which the City was supposed to pay 17 million euros in compensation due to unfulfilled obligations in the first four years of the contract, underwent a review in the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) under Vučević's pressure. Without a new expert examination, it was reduced to four million euros, which were collected from the City. This verdict has become part of the legal practice. (Judgement made by the Supreme Court of Cassation)

I filed two more appeals to the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) in the second half of 2019, as the contract was valid until 2021. This was the signal for the escalation of pressure, and in 2020, they declared a staged bankruptcy. Following this, the SCC returned the appeals for procedural review. Instead, the Commercial Court, under political instructions and in agreement with the bankruptcy trustee, archived the cases. The goal was to prevent a decision on the appeals and the collection of the entire compensation but rather to have creditors "satisfied" with the proceeds from the sale of assets.

The following year, the facilities of ATP "Vojvodina" were sold at a very low price,and the bankruptcy of the company was closed in August 2022, continuing to be treated as a bankruptcy estate. The appeals remained in the archives of the Commercial Court, rather than being decided upon by the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC).

However, the new (fictional) owner of the property could not be registered, as mortgage creditors, including the Tax Administration, were not paid and satisfied.Who will, on behalf of the state, waive their claims in favor of the fictional buyer!?

The second attempt to enable this was the closure of the bankruptcy estate, aiming to undermine the valid appeals and facilitate the registration of the property takeover.

That step of the process was carried out by Judge Slobodanka Komšić, the sister of the governor Jorgovanka Tabaković, just before her retirement. The Decision was made almost secretly, again in August, and it was only published on the court's portal once it became legally binding.

Unfortunately, my lawyer was not up to the pressures and magnitude of this case, so he did not appeal or report to us the decision to close the bankruptcy estate. He put more effort into facilitating the registration of alleged property owners than caring about the status of the appeals he himself had written. I revoked his power of attorney and hired new attorneys.

I was forced to react, and in response to my urgencies to the High Judicial Council, the Commercial Appellate Court issued a decision to continue the cases before the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC). I also requested the re-registration of the bankruptcy estate and the initiation of the appeals, as the bankruptcy trustee, who is typically responsible for such matters, had a different agreement with the politics. However, as the law is explicit in this regard, I requested a meeting with the president of the Commercial Court, and the bankruptcy estate was registered visibly against their will, with the appeals sent to the SCC. Thus, the issue of property registration persists.

But political pressure persists.

They thought they would have the final stage of seizing and robbing in their backyard, at the Novi Sad Commercial Court and the Prosecutor’s Office, which is a hotbed of crime and corruption, and where it is easier for Milos Vucevuc to exert political pressure and influence.

The president of the Commercial Court, Ms. Gordana Ristić, requested the bankruptcy trustee Bojan Škrbić to send urgent appeals to the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) for expedited resolution of cases that had been in her archive for more than four years. Such accelerated resolution approach was previously seen in 2013 when the SCC, under political pressure, decided on a revision within 20 days and halved the compensation amount. However, even this halved verdict became part of the legal practice and serves as the basis for decisions on ongoing revisions that are in the proceedings.

I have invested 50 years of previous entrepreneurial work into the ATP "Vojvodina" project, and neither I, nor my family will give up on justice, which has been so drastically violated in this case.

I have not acquired the capital for the political and material advancement of Milos Vucevic and others like him, but rather for economic development, the wellbeing of my 500 employees, who are creditors of the bankruptcy estate, my family and myself.

I believe that the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) will adhere to the law, especially in light of the latest resolution of the European Parliament. However, it is worth noting that in the panel that will decide, there are judges from Vojvodina, whom Vučević has appointed to the court along political lines, and whose frequent guest he remains.
REVIZIJA 1

REVIZIJA 2

ILIJA DEVIĆ, INVESTOR OF THE ATP “VOJVODINA” COMPANY