Former SNS activist of Vučić: Paid thugs, vote buying and cash for political operations in Serbia

A former activist of Serbia's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Momcilo Marjanovic, has claimed to have helped organize and pay groups tasked with guarding party offices, provoking clashes at protests and pressuring voters to support the ruling party.

In an interview with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), the 54-year-old from Novi Sad described what he called mechanisms used to recruit activists for confrontations, distribute cash payments and collect so-called “guaranteed votes.”

He also claimed to have received money directly from Nenad Barac, director of the public utility company Novi Sad Heating Plant (JKP Novosadska Toplana).

Marjanović said he had been an SNS activist for more than a decade and had participated in political rallies in Vojvodina and elsewhere in Serbia. According to his account, his responsibilities became increasingly linked to the confrontations following the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy on November 1, 2024, which sparked widespread protests.

Accusations of armed groups in "Chaciland"

Marjanović said he spent more than two weeks in Pionirski Park in Belgrade before the large student-led protest on March 15, 2025. The park, opposite the Serbian presidency, became known as “Ćacilend” after supporters of the authorities set up a camp there.

He claimed that the groups brought to the scene were prepared to use force if clashes with students or opposition supporters occurred.

“My role was to lead a group of men to the most dangerous and critical places, such as Ćacilend,” Marjanović told BIRN, describing how he and the men he led were positioned on the front lines of political rallies.

He also claimed to have seen at least 100 people carrying revolvers inside the camp, saying some carried them openly on their belts or tucked into their waistbands.

According to Marjanović, members of his group had pepper spray, rubber batons and balaclavas, which were kept in a tent in the park. He claimed that some people consumed alcohol or psychoactive substances while carrying out tasks that involved threats and physical violence.

Marjanović said he was paid 500 euros per day for his presence in Ćacilend, while the men he led received 200 euros each.

He further claimed that preparations for the March 15 rally included instructions to defend the camp by any means necessary if it came under pressure.

Allegations of infiltration into anti-government protests

The former activist also alleged that individuals recruited by the SNS were sometimes sent into crowds of students and other protesters to provoke incidents that could then be blamed on the demonstrators.

He cited rallies in Belgrade, Bačka Palanka, Bački Petrovac and Novi Sad, including protests in August and October. Marjanović said that, in some cases, men from other cities were brought in because local protesters did not know them.

He alleged that these individuals had been instructed to throw rocks and use pyrotechnics against the police, potentially creating the impression that the protesting students were responsible for the violence.

Marjanovic stressed that he was not claiming that every confrontation was staged, but said he had personally witnessed what he described as the use of infiltrators at some events.

He also recounted an incident in which he was hit in the mouth by a bottle and in the leg by a stone, saying he believed the attacks may have come from people on his side.

Suspected cash payments and pressure on voters

Marjanović said that another part of his job involved contacting voters identified as potential SNS supporters and ensuring that they went to polling stations. He alleged that both he and the people who worked with him received money for these activities.

He said the payments had typically been around 100 euros, adding that he had heard claims of significantly higher amounts – between 400 and 500 euros per vote – being offered recently. The BIRN report did not independently determine those alleged newer payments.

According to Marjanović, Nenad Barac directly approved the number of people assigned to the events and provided the money used to pay them. He alleged that the money was delivered to Barac's office at the Novi Sad power plant's administrative headquarters, or left with the director's secretary when Barac was absent.

Marjanović estimated that, since the collapse of the Novi Sad tent, he had personally collected between 350,000 and 400,000 euros from the company for these activities. He said he had presented text message exchanges with Barac as supporting evidence.

Barac refused to answer BIRN's questions about the alleged payments, asking how the media had obtained the information before ending the conversation.

Marjanović also said he had received a salary through another Novi Sad public enterprise, Lisje, despite never showing up for work. He described the arrangement as a fictitious job through which he was compensated for his political services.

Suspected threats after leaving party activities

Marjanović said his relationship with the SNS deteriorated after he helped two students who had entered Ćacilend, an action for which he said he was reprimanded. He later refused to travel to Kula ahead of the local elections held on 29 March 2026.

He said he ultimately decided not to participate, partly because of concerns about the future of his daughter and family. He acknowledged that his political involvement had brought him financial and other privileges, including being paid despite not going to work.

After retiring from activities, Marjanović claimed that he received threats from Bojan Mihajlović, a former MMA fighter and SNS activist, and Mihajlović's associate, Vladimir Zukić.

He alleged that the two men confronted him in a car in May and that Zukic smashed the window of his vehicle. Marjanovic said he reported the incident to the police and alleged that Zukic had threatened to harm his child.

According to the report, Mihajlović and Zukić refused to answer BIRN's questions and denied knowing Marjanović.

Mihajlović was also among a group of SNS supporters deported by Montenegrin authorities at Tivat Airport in June, following a security assessment that they could pose a threat to national security, BIRN reported.

Marjanović said he was aware that he had benefited from the agreements he described and expressed hope that other party activists would reconsider their involvement.

"I hope there will be changes and that this will not happen again," he said, according to BIRN.

According to the material provided, the allegations in the interview have not been substantiated by a court decision. Barac did not answer BIRN's questions in any substantial way, while Mihajlović and Zukić denied knowing Marjanović.