Belgrade municipality endorses its chief resignation

N1

The Belgrade Grocka municipality assembly accepted on Wednesday the resignation of Dragoljub Simonovic, its former head, accused of ordering the burning down of a local journalist's house, N1 reported.

Simonovic, also a high-ranking official of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SRS) led by President Aleksandar Vucic, had spent 30 days in detention after being named as the mastermind behind the attack on a local website journalist Milan Jovanovic in which his family house was set ablaze, and he and his wife nearly escaped death.

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On March 15, Simonovic announced his resignation both as the head of the municipality and as an SNS official.

Ahead of the municipality’s session the Alliance for Serbia (SzS) opposition grouping and SNS supporters gathered outside the building.

There was a brief commotion, and the two crowds chanted different slogans.

Simonovic was arrested on January 25, when Vucic said he was under suspicion of ordering the attack on Jovanovic whose house was set ablaze last December.