Serbia’s Culture Minister Faces Trial Over Alleged Forgery in Kushner-Linked Development Project
en01.web.id – Serbia. The Special Court of Belgrade has opened a criminal trial against Nikola Selaković, Serbia’s Minister of Culture, along with three other senior officials, over allegations of forging official documents and abuse of office in connection with the redevelopment of the historic General Staff Building on Kneza Miloša Street in central Belgrade, a project linked to Affinity Partners, the investment firm owned by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors from Serbia’s Organized Crime Office charged Selaković together with Ivana Petrović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Miloš Janković, Director of the National Cultural Heritage Assessment Division, and Jelena Marković, Head of Heritage Documentation, accusing them of manipulating legal records to falsely remove the building’s protected heritage status.
The case stems from early 2024, when the Serbian government signed a memorandum of understanding with Affinity Partners to transform the bomb-damaged former Yugoslav military headquarters into a luxury hotel complex, shopping center, and high-end residential zone. The site has been listed as a national cultural monument since 2005, following its destruction during NATO airstrikes in 1999.
According to the indictment, Selaković ordered ministry officials to alter archival classifications without approval from the National Heritage Council, creating documents that claimed the site no longer qualified for legal protection. Those documents were then used to issue permits allowing foreign commercial development on the land.
“The defendants knowingly produced false state records to facilitate a private investment project at the expense of Serbia’s protected cultural heritage,” said Mladen Nenadić, Serbia’s Chief Prosecutor for Organized Crime, during the opening hearing at the Special Court.
Prosecutors said the actions violated Articles 357 and 359 of Serbia’s Criminal Code, covering forgery of official documents and abuse of public authority. If convicted, the defendants face up to eight years in prison and permanent bans from holding public office.
Selaković denied all charges, telling the court the decisions were made “in the national interest.” “There was no forgery, no personal gain, and no intent to violate the law. Every step was taken under legal interpretations valid at the time,” he said in a formal statement.
The Kushner-linked development project was suspended in October 2025 following public protests and a government investigation. The trial has since become one of Serbia’s most high-profile political corruption cases in a decade, drawing international attention due to its involvement of an active cabinet minister and a globally prominent investor.
Tim Redaksi
(rd/ks/jk)