In August 2023, Nina Kovačević violated her driving ban. Police stopped her and issued a speeding ticket but failed to file a violation report for breaching the driving ban. If they had done so, her driver’s license could have been revoked, as previously reported by CINS.
Had the system not failed at that time, Kovačević might not have been behind the wheel nine months later, when she hit a young girl with her car – causing severe, life-threatening injuries. Attorney Marko Pantić, whose clients include individuals facing traffic violation cases, previously told CINS that violating a driving ban is one of the most serious offenses under the Law on Road Traffic Safety.
The Internal Affairs Sector (IAS) of the Ministry of Interior initially denied that Kovačević had a driving ban and that the police were required to file a violation report.
However, after CINS’s journalist sent the IAS a misdemeanor charge as proof that Kovačević was under a driving ban at the time of the August 2023 stop, the IAS initiated proceedings against the officers involved.
By late July of this year, the IAS had completed its review and submitted a report to the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Public Prosecution Office in Belgrade.
In its response to CINS, the IAS stated that the report concerns “establishing possible oversight in the work of traffic police officers.”
Sanja Radivojević from the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights explained to CINS that the IAS must carry out an investigation and – if there are indications of a criminal offense – notify the prosecution.
The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed for CINS that a case has been opened and that the allegations in the report are being looked into.
As a reminder, Nina Kovačević was convicted by the court of first instance to two years and ten months in prison for hitting the young girl with her car in June last year. She was also issued a five-year driving ban.
In determining her sentence, the court took into consideration that she had been driving in the yellow lane, exceeding the speed limit, and was in a state of severe intoxication. As mitigating factors, the court noted that she had no prior criminal convictions and is the mother of three children.
You can read more about the entire court process in a separate CINS report.
Prior to this accident, Kovačević had been the subject of at least 16 misdemeanor proceedings, mostly for speeding. CINS’s investigation revealed that she mostly received lighter penalties for these violations.
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