Have you heard about the latest judicial chaos in Serbia? The Appellate Court in Belgrade has just overturned the verdict that sentenced former model Katarina Rebrača to two years and ten months in prison for abusing a breast cancer prevention fund! Yes, you read that right – the fund, into which citizens and donors paid over 22 million dinars, money meant for educating and informing women, ended up spent on travel tickets, hotels, and other personal expenses. And now, instead of settling things, the court orders a new trial!
The first-instance verdict acquitted Katarina and her associates, but the second-instance court convicted them, leading to an appeal and the case being sent back for a retrial. The court even admitted that the legal conclusions of the initial verdict were unclear and that there were issues with the legal qualification of the crime.
Katarina’s associates, Slađana Mironija and Mirjana Hristić, were sentenced to one year in prison, but their fate is now uncertain as well. The whole mess revolves around whether the crime was abuse of trust in economic activity or abuse of position of a responsible person, which affects the severity of the sentence.
Remember, the case started back in April 2021 with Katarina’s arrest. She was held in custody until October that year, then released with travel restrictions and passport confiscation. The donation money, totaling 37 million dinars, which citizens paid into the fund, was spent on the accused’s personal expenses, while Katarina insists she did nothing illegal.
This case casts a shadow over trust in charitable funds in Serbia and raises many questions about transparency and accountability. Will justice finally be served, or are we in for another legal circus? Stay tuned, because this drama is far from over!
And hey, if you know of a similar scandal or just want to share your thoughts, drop a comment. Who knows, maybe your words will spark something big!
