Faculty of Applied Sciences couple launder millions to buy apartment, fancy furniture, give money to relatives

The higher public prosecutor's office in the town of Nis has ordered the arrest of a husband and wife suspected of abuse of trust in performing economic activities, as well as money laundering at the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

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According to unofficial information Dragan Nikolic (64), the founder of the Faculty of Applied Sciences in Nis, and his wife Maja Nikolic (37), employed at the Faculty, have been arrested. Vukadin and Danica Lazic have also been detained.

There is suspicion that Dragan Nikolic, Maja Nikolic and Danica Lazic committed the crime of money laundering, in that Dragan Nikolic, in the period from 2018 to 2020, transferred cash in the total amount of RSD 12,155,500.00 from the account of this faculty . which came from student payments toward study programs that were not accredited, and by enrolling students over the limit established by the work permit issued to the school - which he then used to pay fictitious invoices issued by Danica Lazic's LDV PRO Nis company.

From 2018 until 2021 the spouses Dragan Nikolic and Maja Nikolic withdrew 11,947,000.00 dinars, which they used to buy a 61 square meter apartment located in Nis, while they falsely presented the facts about their newly acquired property by stating that the money came from an inheritance and a gift.

He bought apartment, fancy furtniture, gave money to family

Dragan Nikolic is suspected of committing the offense of abuse of trust in the performance of economic activity by, during 2022 and 2023, using the faculty's payment card and mading payments to various suppliers in order to furnish the apartments owned by him and those owned by his relatives, making illegal gains and incurring damages to the Faculty in the amount of 1,554,156.00 dinars.

It is also suspected that Vukadin Lazic committed the crime of money laundering, in that he converted property - cash in the total amount of 14,101,920.00 dinars on February 9, 2023 to purchase an 81.56 square meter apartment in Nis.

That property is believed to originate from criminal activity because the suspect Lazic and his family members have no record of a legal income that would have been sufficient to buy the apartment, while he falsely presented the facts about the property by stating it came from "earnings and savings."

They obtained a total of illegal property gains in the amount of RSD 27,811,576.00.

(Telegraf.rs)