30 days in jail for Serbia's richest man
2012-12-14 18:02
Belgrade - A judge has ordered Serbia's richest man to
spend 30 days in prison pending trial after his arrest on suspicion of corruption.
Billionaire retail tycoon Miroslav Miskovic, one of the
Balkan country's most influential figures, was arrested along with his son
Marko and eight others, in connection with the privatisation of several Serbian
road construction companies in 2005, during which the suspects allegedly gained
illegal profits of about $39m.
Miskovic, his son and four others were handed 30 days in
jail on Friday. The rest were freed pending trial.
The arrest was part of an anti-corruption sweep launched
by Serbia's new nationalist-led government.
Critics say the
campaign has mostly been aimed at political opponents.
Serbia must fight widespread graft to fulfil its goal of
joining the EU.
- SAPA
