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Police hold senior petroleum executives in Serbia deals probe

A director at the refinery's processing unit, Russian citizen Viktor Slavin, is among those said to have been held

© ITAR-TASS-Stanislav Krasilnikov

BELGRADE, November 14, 13:21 /ITAR-TASS/. Serbian police are reported to have detained four senior officials of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia company NIS. They are suspected of illegal deals at an oil refinery in the town of Pancevo.

A director at the refinery's processing unit, Russian citizen Viktor Slavin, is among those said to have been held. Russia's consulate in Belgrade has neither denied nor confirmed the report.

Meanwhile, a source at the Serbian affiliate of Russia'a Gazprom company said inspections were being conductedwith the Serbian Interior Ministry in a campaign to fight corruption at the company.

This sought to establish possible violations of corporate purchases on the Serbian market in which local contractors were involved, the source said.

Russian Gazprom Neft is the chief shareholder in NIS, holding 56.5% of its shares.

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