Four NGOs Under Scrutiny for Suspected Misuse of USAID Funds
The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Nenad Stefanovic, announced that the Special Department for Combating Corruption has opened a case and contacted the U.S. Department of Justice for the necessary information regarding suspicions raised about USAID.
"In these statements, NGOs and U.S. contractors who received projects in Serbia were mentioned. Among those who raised suspicions about USAID's work are U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House spokesperson Karolina Levitt, the U.S. Government Efficiency Department headed by Elon Musk, and FBI Director Kash Patel," said Stefanovic.
As he noted, the request for assistance was sent to the U.S. Department of Justice through international legal assistance in criminal matters via the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia.
"The reason for this is that the allocation and spending of USAID funds are not automatically accessible to the prosecutor's office. Instead, according to rules established by USAID itself, the organization decides which data it will provide to the prosecutor's office, and only after the prosecutor's office proves to USAID that there are concrete suspicions of irregularities and money laundering," explained Stefanovic.
He emphasized that the request to the relevant U.S. Ministry was made in connection with a preliminary investigation initiated by the Special Department for Combating Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, aimed at determining whether elements of criminal acts, such as abuse of office and money laundering, exist, against currently unknown individuals, as announced on the Prosecutor's Office website.
The prosecutor stated that the excessive concentration of funds in the accounts of several NGOs or related consulting firms in Serbia, combined with the non-transparent allocation of funds to a narrow circle of NGOs and the absence of comprehensive financial reports, indicates a basis for suspicion regarding the legality of USAID’s spending.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted some examples of "malicious" and "wasteful" spending by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), including one and a half million dollars for programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces in Serbia.
As he emphasized, the U.S. Department of Justice is specifically asked for help in obtaining evidence, providing information, or potential expert findings, delivering financial, commercial, or business records (contracts, invoices, etc.), data from banks or other financial institutions, and identifying or locating criminal proceeds or other materials that could serve as evidence in a criminal case in Serbia before the competent court.
"At the same time, due to the seriousness of the allegations, and to verify the claims and gather evidence regarding suspicions of improper use of USAID funds, abuse of funds, and possible money laundering by NGOs in Serbia, the Special Department for Combating Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has requested the police to gather the necessary information to determine whether there are grounds to suspect that anyone has committed a criminal offense within the department's jurisdiction," added the Chief Public Prosecutor.
It has been ordered that, for now, all documentation related to USAID donations be seized from four NGOs, and that conversations be held with the responsible individuals from these NGOs regarding the use of funds from donations, the pre-established procedures for spending USAID funds, and whether there was an obligation to inform donors about the targeted use of those funds, among other things.
"The police have also been instructed to take other actions and measures within their authority and to submit a report to the prosecutor's office," added Stefanovic, noting that, following this, the police have started gathering information regarding the operations of the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability (CRTA), Civil Initiatives, the Center for Practical Politics, and the Trag Foundation.
Additionally, as emphasized, the Special Department for Combating Corruption has sent requests to the National Bank of Serbia and the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering to verify the financial transactions of the mentioned NGOs.
Newsmax se bavi temama, a ne pukim prenošenjem informacija. Informišemo, ali želimo I da objasnimo, analiziramo, istražimo. Osvrnućemo se na izazove i prilike s kojima se suočavamo, analizirajući kako se aktuelna dešavanja reflektuju na naš svakodnevni život. Kroz razgovore sa stručnjacima i akterima iz različitih oblasti, pružićemo dublji uvid u važne teme koje se tiču politike, ekonomije, obrazovanja i društvene pravde. Pridružite nam se u ovoj analizi i saznajte više o pitanjima koja su važna za sve nas.
vesti
13:00
TRAŽIM REČ
Tražite reč, pišite nam šta vas muči a mi ćemo Vam pomoći da rešite problem kroz razgovor sa ljudima koji su odgovorni i upućeni... Bićete u prilici da slušate i da pitate. Direktno i uživo. Pišite nam na mejl adresu trazimrec@newsmaxtv.rs
specijal
14:00
NAŠA PRIČA 1. DEO
Jutarnji program „Otvori oči“ gledaocima nudi analizu aktuelnih dešavanja od prethodnog dana i najavu predstojećih događaja uz analizu eminentnih stručnjaka i renomiranih gostiju. Emisija nudi uvid u aktuelna pitanja, uz kvalitetne analize i inspirativne price naših dopisnika I reportera koji će se uvek naći “na pravom mestu u pravo vreme”.
specijal
15:00
PRESEK 2
Newsmax se bavi temama, a ne pukim prenošenjem informacija. Informišemo, ali želimo I da objasnimo, analiziramo, istražimo. Osvrnućemo se na izazove i prilike s kojima se suočavamo, analizirajući kako se aktuelna dešavanja reflektuju na naš svakodnevni život. Kroz razgovore sa stručnjacima i akterima iz različitih oblasti, pružićemo dublji uvid u važne teme koje se tiču politike, ekonomije, obrazovanja i društvene pravde. Pridružite nam se u ovoj analizi i saznajte više o pitanjima koja su važna za sve nas.
vesti
15:30
NAŠA PRIČA 2. DEO
Jutarnji program „Otvori oči“ gledaocima nudi analizu aktuelnih dešavanja od prethodnog dana i najavu predstojećih događaja uz analizu eminentnih stručnjaka i renomiranih gostiju. Emisija nudi uvid u aktuelna pitanja, uz kvalitetne analize i inspirativne price naših dopisnika I reportera koji će se uvek naći “na pravom mestu u pravo vreme”.
specijal
16:00
SINTEZA ( R )
Lako je postaviti pitanje, umeće je dobiti pravi odgovor. Sinteza - ozbiljna priča!
Potpredsednik Vlade i ministar unutrašnjih poslova Ivica Dačić izjavio je da su sve vatrogasno-spasilačke jedinice na terenu, kao i Helikopterska jedinica usled velikog broja požara i jakog nevremena koji su zahvatili Srbiju i pozvao građane na oprez i odgovorno ponašanje.
Vojvodinu su tokom popodneva pogodili pljuskovi sa grmljavinom praćeni olujnim vetrom, koji je u pojedinim gradovima čupao drveće iz korenja. Jak vetar je pogodio i Beograd, gde je podigao prašinu sa gradilišta i napravio prašinsku oluju.
Predsednik Srpskog narodnog vijeća Boris Milošević ocenjuje za Newsmax Balkans da se na zagrebačkom hipodromu u subotu nije održao samo koncert pevača Marka Perkovića Tompsona, već "političko-ideološki miting", čije posledice duboko zadiru u društvo.
U.S. President Donald Trump has notified more than 10 countries of new tariff rates set to take effect on August 1, with Serbia facing tariffs of 35 percent. He noted that such tariff policy could change if a trade agreement is reached.
Two cadets of Serbian origin from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point are currently in Serbia as part of a military exchange program. They participated in the "Platinum Wolf” exercise, worked with members of the Serbian Armed Forces, and visited the regions their families come from.
During the previous night, members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) conducted identity checks on a total of 1,297 individuals, while 79 people were taken to police stations.
The CEO of Telekom Srbija, Vladimir Lucic, stated that the company's operating profit increased by more than 250 million euros, while net profit rose by nearly 50 percent.
Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted identity checks on a total of 976 individuals during the previous night, while 72 people were brought to police stations, the ministry reported.
Serbian Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starovic, stated that the summit of Western Balkan leaders and representatives of the European Commission in Skopje was an opportunity for Serbia to once again confirm its full commitment to the EU integration process, and that official Belgrade exp
Colonel Zeljko Brkic, Assistant Director of the Police, stated that most of the roadblocks across Serbia have been removed and that traffic is functioning normally.
Today, Air Serbia carried its 2-millionth passenger in 2025. The Serbian national carrier reached this milestone earlier compared to the previous year, when it was reached in July.
Komentari (0)