Changes in the parent company of N1 indicate that the plan made long ago by the President of Serbia and United Group CEO Stan Miller is still being implemented, despite public outcry in Serbia and Europe, said Zeljko Bodrozic, president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS).
The management of Adria News S.à r.l, registered in Luxembourg and the formal owner of N1, received five new members on September 23, including United Group CEO Stan Miller. The powers of the previous directors were transferred to these five new members – Miler, Niall John Martin, Timothy Lincoln Pennington, Thomas Probst, and Guibert Marie C. Schroyen.
This move came just one month after the investigative network OCCRP released a recording of a conversation between Miller and Telekom Serbia CEO Vladimir Lucic, in which Miller discussed reducing United Group operations in Serbia.
“There are clearly firm agreements between the people running United Group and Vucic. He said in November there would be changes at N1 and Nova. Everything is heading in that direction. Back in January, when he spoke about it, he expected public protests and student rebellion to subside. Since that didn’t happen, he accelerated his partners to make changes in United Media’s management and remove the director,” Bodrozic said.
He added that these agreements between “powerful people and an autocrat” continue to be implemented, despite protests from citizens and international organizations.
According to Bodrozic, the action against N1 has been accelerated to silence N1 and Nova, two of the most critical media outlets.
Source: N1
