June 27, 2025

Hello John,

Over the last decade, the business dealings of the former mayor of Belgrade and current finance minister of Serbia Siniša Mali have proved fertile ground for investigative journalists. As his country faces mass protests, concerns about entrenched corruption and impunity have come to the fore once more. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian investigators have sanctioned a shadowy online casino run out of Cyprus, flagging concerns about its owners’ links to the Russian government — as well as the security risks posed by gambling soldiers sharing location data.

In Georgia, a former deputy economy minister has been detained on corruption charges, while seven journalists have been sentenced in a sham trial in Azerbaijan.

Plus, a new documentary takes you inside the world of corporate espionage, exposing the extraordinary lengths companies will go to in order to protect their interests.

Read on for the latest in global crime and corruption.

OCCRP Feature

In 2015, Belgrade mayor Siniša Mali dared reporters to prove that he owned 24 apartments, worth millions of dollars,  on the Bulgarian coast.

“If you determine that I am the owner of any of these apartments, they are all yours,” he told a press conference. “You will get the key that very moment.”

In the decade since, OCCRP and our Serbian member center KRIK have published multiple exposes on the unexplained wealth of Mali, who has served as finance minister since 2018.

In 2021, with help from the Pandora Papers — a trove of leaked documents from offshore service providers obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists — we even showed that Mali owned the 24 apartments through Caribbean shell companies.

As yet, no keys have been forthcoming.

Mali’s career captures the essence of Serbia’s problem with corruption, and the impunity enjoyed by its political elites. For the ruling SNS party, which has faced months of protests across the country, this is a sore point. A February poll found that 24 percent of Serbians said corruption was the biggest problem facing the country.

However, corruption is deeply entrenched, University of Belgrade researcher Filip Balunović tells OCCRP.

“The whole system relies on corruption,” he said. “One of the main systemic illnesses of the state is the fact that institutions don't work. People who hold significant places in the state refuse to simply respond, react, or address the issues of concern.”

More OCCRP Reporting

Ukrainian authorities have sanctioned a Cyprus-based gambling empire, which they warn is funnelling millions to Russia-linked owners.

Kyiv investigators warn that not only are those behind online casino Pin-Up “filling the aggressor’s budget,” but are potentially able to access location data of Ukrainian troops who use the platform.

Read the full story → 

Ex-Georgian Minister Detained in $920K Corruption Probe

A court in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi this week ordered the country’s former deputy economy minister to serve two months in pre-trial detention, following his arrest last Friday by the State Security Service.

Romeo Mikautadze is alleged to have used his position, connections, and experience for personal profit, including in the energy sector. 

He allegedly abused his position to amass $920,000. 

Read the full story →

Paraguay Launches Cybersecurity Plan After Major Hacks

Last week, Paraguay President Santiago Peña announced the launch of a major cybersecurity initiative, designed to “protect citizens' rights and data in the digital age”.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of a massive cybersecurity breach: Earlier this month, the government of Paraguay announced it would not pay cybercriminals demanding a $7.4 million ransom for personal data on the country’s citizens. 

The country continues to be targeted by cyber attacks. Yet another one was made public this week.

Read the full story →

Azerbaijani Journalists Sentenced in ‘Sham Trial’ 

Last week, seven journalists were handed lengthy prison sentences by an Azerbaijani court, in a trial roundly described by civil society as a farce.

Among those sentenced are six staff members of independent outlet Abzas Media, which is known for its reporting on human rights violations and corruption, as well as a journalist from RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani service.

This comes amid a broader crackdown on investigative journalism in the country.

Read the full story →

OCCRP Documentary

News Briefs

• The United Kingdom has lifted sanctions on Balkan arms dealer Slobodan Tešić, three years after he was singled out for allegedly bribing Bosnian officials.

• Luxury fashion houses including Chanel and Louis Vuitton have been criticized for sourcing leather from tanneries tied to illegal deforestation and displacement of Indigenous communities in the Amazon.

• A former security minister and Supreme Court justice from Costa Rica has been arrested on drug trafficking charges, under an extradition request from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

• The EU has imposed fresh sanctions over serious human rights violations in Syria.

• In Italy, 11 people have been arrested in a crackdown on a Europe-wide tax fraud scheme, alleged to have laundered hundreds of millions of euros.  

• The United Arab Emirates last week handed a French-Algerian fugitive over to the French authorities. The 37-year-old is accused of coordinating a 2020 operation in which 2.5 tons of cocaine was smuggled into France from Colombia.   

• Venezuela’s former spy chief has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking just days before his scheduled  trial in New York.

• Prosecutors in Belarus failed to bring charges against several police officers allegedly involved in an opium trafficking ring, according to a new investigation by OCCRP partner Buro Media.

What's On

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Join the ARIJ 18th Annual Forum

OCCRP regional partner Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) will host the ARIJ 18th Annual Forum on December 5-7 in Jordan and online.

This year’s theme, “Rise to Challenge,” calls on independent journalists to confront growing political pressure, shrinking funding, and disruptive technologies.

With panels, workshops, and spaces for collaboration, the forum is a key event for bolstering resilient, ethical reporting in the Arab world and beyond.

Register to attend in person or virtually.

ICYMI: FAQ on Aleph Pro
Aleph Pro is the next iteration of OCCRP’s investigative data platform Aleph, launching in October 2025.

This FAQ explains what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and how the transition will affect Aleph users around the world.

Find out more →