Who transported voters from Kosovo and Bosnia to Serbia?

Voters from Kosovo, organised by buses, went to Serbian border towns to vote in the December 17th elections.

Buses travelling from the northern part of Kosovo -- inhabited by Serb majority -- were mainly covered by white strip companies.

Who is behind their organisation, Radio Free Europe failed to determine.

According to data it provided REL, in Serbia's elections, voted mostly employees of Serbian institutions in Kosovo, as well as Serb pensioners.

Workers in Serbian institutions were informed the day before where and when exactly they will vote.

The first buses left about 6:00 a.m., while others continued every half hour to an hour.

So for example, at 7: 00 a.m., a bus with employees of Pristina's provisional authority left Gracanica, followed by another with health and educational institutions employees, as well as pensioners.

One of the buses that left Kosovo's north towards Raska had Kosovo plates and a phone number.

In the call REL made, the person who responded denied having participated in transporting voters to Serbia.

A similar situation happened in Gracanica, near Pristina. Representatives of the company “

Although in some sights from North Mitrovica, the local company's “Joe Travel”, its owner, Goran Antiq, said his bus was only parked at the bus station and that it clearly reads that it is wandering in the North Mitrovica RH. Belgrade.

On buses carrying voters to Rashka or Tutin, a free “travel was written on the buses.

According to REL information, temporary municipal organs operating in the Serbian system in Kosovo were involved in organising transport.

The chairman of interim authority in northern Mitrovica, Ivan Zaporozhac, was not on the phone and did not respond to the message he sent him. REL through the Viber app.

The chairman of the provisional authority in Leposavic, Zoran Todiq, said he was busy and “later we called”, but later he was not available.

Novak Zivic, chairman of Pristina's provisional authority, after hearing the question, hung up the phone and stopped answering.

At the top of the so-called interim authorities in Kosovo are officials of the Serbian List -- the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo -- which was founded with the support of Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, and of the party he led by late Serbian Progressive Party.

Mobile Transport Even From Bosnia and Herzegovina

A company of an entrepreneur who was detained on the eve of elections in Niksic, Montenegro two years ago and was barred from entering Montenegro from Bosnia and Herzegovina last year was seen in the country from where voters from Bosnia and Herzegovina were transported to vote in Sunday's elections in Serbia.

At least five vehicles with company signs for security “T&M Group Solutions” were seen on election day by Radio Free Europe journalists near “Shrka Arena” in Belgrade, which is the biggest space for concerts and sports in Serbia's capital. During that time, groups of men saw security signs and could not enter the hall.

According to the Agency for Business Recording data in Serbia, it is about a company that has former Serbian director and co-owner Dane Shiyan.

Who financed voter transport and how many voters from the Bosnian Republic voted at polling stations in Belgrade are still unknown.

What is known about voters in Serbia from Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The campaign of government forces in Belgrade, led by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, was accompanied by accusations by the opposition, but also by local and international observers, for increasing the number of voters in Belgrade.

The goal, according to the opposition, was to increase the number of voters of Vuciki's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which in the 2022 elections managed to retain power in Belgrade for only two votes.

“We stated in the preliminary report that voters were brought from other countries to vote in Belgrade's local elections. We noted this”, said a day after the elections in Serbia, Albert Johnson, leader of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation Monitoring Mission in Europe (OSBE).

In his speech during election night, Vuciq said that “is particularly hurt by lies in the direction of people from Republika Srpska”.

It's scary. There is almost no change in the current number of votes. There is no role in decision-making, but it is symbolically very important”, Vuciq said.

Miroslav Alleksik, on behalf of the opposition list “Serbia against violence”, said this coalition has information that 40,000 ID cards have been issued to people who do not live in Belgrade to participate in the city elections.

Allexic did not provide more accurate information about the source of the data or evidence of his claims.

In addition to voting stations in Serbia, voters who have the right to vote and live in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been able to vote in 19 polling stations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The number of voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Serbia's 2022 elections was 11.120.

Who's Dane Shiyan?

Dane Shiyan, along with handball player Vadicir Majdomir, son of Momcilo Mandiqi, justice minister at the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, sentenced for war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was arrested in Montenegro on the eve of local elections in Niksic in March 2021.

As explained at the time, they were arrested under suspicion of illegal introduction of money to Montenegro to help the coalition gathered around the pro-rus Democratic Front (DF).

On October 14th 2022, at the Metalka border point in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro's police handed over Vdalmir Mandiqi and Dane Shijani a decision to ban the entry after it was concluded that “has concerns for national security”.

Dane Shiyan, who is co-owner of the security company “T&M Group Protections” is one of over two thousand support signatories for the Serbian Progressive Party. According to available Facebook data, he also supported the party in 2019, on the eve of a rally before the Serbian Parliament.

A phone number identified in some apps as the Dane Shiyan number reported to Radio Free Europe as one of the company's owners.

He said he did not know what company vehicles were doing “T&M Group Solutions” near “Stark Arena” during election day in Serbia.

After being asked by the REL to introduce himself, he said he was a co-owner and called “Pera Petroviq”.

In the questions REL sent through e-mail to the Serbian Progressive Party regarding voter transportation information, there was no response to the publication of this article.

What is known about company “T&M Group Solutions”?

Company “The T&M Group Protections” was founded at the end of May 2022 in Belgrade. There are no websites and no phone numbers at the Agency's database for registering Business (APR).

According to data from the financial report of this agency, it had five employees during 2022.

Dane Shiyan, according to APR data, became the company's owner in March 2023.

A month later, it exceeded ownership of “companies U n NIQUENES GROUP IMITED” and “M I TRAL INTERNATIAL-FZCO” by the United Arab Emirates, while remaining in charge of the director.

Currently, APR data shows Shiyan owns 40 per cent of the company, while unknown Mihajlo Popovic owns 60 per cent.

Who are voters carriers from Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Except for the company in which Shiyan is co-owner, near “Stater Arena” even Bosnia and Herzegovina's license plates were spotted.

This is company “IN Turs” from the town of Rudo near the border with Serbia, as well as “Kuna Tours” from Foca, also east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as show the photos and videos of REL journalists, as well as videos from social networks.

“IN Turs” is a company registered for transportation of travelers and goods since 2015. The company's owner is Vdalmir Novakovic, while the director is Marko Novakovovic.

In November of this year, Marko Novakovic was elected chairman of the Municipal Committee of the People's Front in Rudo.

The head of this party is Yelena Triviq, who was deputy in the Republika Srpska Parliament.

The REL also sent questions to the People's Front Party, whose official name is Novakoviciq regarding information about these shipments, but received no response.

In a statement to the REL, Marko Novakovic said his buses “have probably taken citizens to Belgrade to vote”.

“I was with a team”, Novakovic said in a brief telephone statement.

When asked if the buses went to Belgrade's arena, Novakovic said that “the partners know this”.

He did not want to show who hired this company for transportation to Belgrade, saying they contacted the manager.

Novakovic said he doesn't know how many buses and voters were from the town of Rudo.

The distance between Rudo and Belgrade is 316 km. The nearest town in Serbia with Rudo is Pribji only 20km away.

Another transport company observed during election day at “Stark Arena” in Belgrade was “Kuna Tours”.

On her official Facebook page, this company posted its photos from Belgrade.

“Kuna Tours S. P.” is owned by a T-shirt from Foca. A representative of hers answered the phone number in the company's Facebook account.

In a brief statement to Radio Free Europe, he said he is driving, but confirmed that the company's buses were in Belgrade on Sunday. However, the phone link was soon cut off. He did not answer messages with questions about who committed it and who he transported.

“Director Stark Arena”

Belgrade's “Shrkark Arena” is a Belgrade city-owned hall.

Goran Gerbovic, its director, said during election day that he does not know what it is about.

“We have a basketball tournament here, and I don't even know what this is about”, he said in a proposal for the Serbian weekly “Vreme”.

Vlasmir Dimitrijevic, chairman of the Republican Election Commission, said events about the arena are not prohibited by law.

The law does not prevent people from gathering, even if their goal was to vote at a polling station”, he said. / REL/