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HomeCRIME & PUNISHMENTCHARGESTrump Family’s $500m Luxury Hotel Project in Belgrade Hit by Forgery Scandal...

Trump Family’s $500m Luxury Hotel Project in Belgrade Hit by Forgery Scandal as Serbian Official Goran Vasic Admits Forging Document to Seal Deal

A high-profile $500 million luxury hotel and residential development linked to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s family in Belgrade, Serbia, has encountered a major setback after a Serbian official admitted to forging a crucial document that enabled the project to proceed.

Goran Vasic, acting director of Serbia’s Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, confessed to fabricating an expert opinion that was used to justify stripping the historic status from the former Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building in central Belgrade.

The investigation began after an anonymous complaint, with authorities recovering forged documents from the cultural institute.

The building, heavily damaged during NATO bombings in 1999, was protected as a cultural landmark, and its designation prevented demolition.

The falsified document was pivotal in the Serbian government’s November 2024 decision to revoke the site’s protected status, clearing the way for the construction of the Trump International Hotel, the first Trump-branded hotel in Europe-along with a high-end residential complex.

Vasic’s admission has led to his arrest on charges including abuse of office and document forgery, which carry potential prison sentences under Serbian law.

The project is spearheaded by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, through his Miami-based company Affinity Partners.

The land is to be leased for 99 years, marking a significant real estate venture in the Balkans.

Affinity Partners issued a statement denying any involvement or knowledge of the forgery, saying they learned of the issue through media reports and are reviewing the matter.

The scandal has sparked public outrage in Serbia, where the site is seen by many as a symbol of national suffering and a memorial to the 1999 Kosovo War.

Preservationists, opposition politicians, and civil society groups have condemned the project, accusing the government of prioritising political and business interests over cultural heritage.

Opposition lawmaker Dragan Jonic criticised the affair as evidence of preferential treatment for the Trump and Kushner enterprises.

The controversy has also fueled protests, including a large demonstration on March 24, the anniversary of the NATO bombing campaign.

Activists and heritage organisations are calling on the Serbian government to annul both the decision to revoke the site’s protected status and the entire development project.

Serbian prosecutors claimed that Vasic lacked the qualifications to authorise changes to protected cultural properties and that his forged proposal was submitted without consultation with professional conservators.

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