PIO Fund union claims documents are being shredded

The ASNS union of employees at the Republic Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO Fund) said on October 29 that documents have been destroyed for several days at the Fund’s headquarters in Belgrade, and, it claims, at night as well. These are claims made by the union and a lawyer, and there is so far no independent confirmation that documents at the PIO Fund are being destroyed.

The statement was signed by the ASNS chief representative at the PIO Fund, Dragan Domazet. In it, the union confirms information that appeared on social media the previous day, and names the Fund’s headquarters at 9 Dr Aleksandra Kostica Street as the place where it is all happening.

What does the ASNS union claim?

According to the statement, the destruction began right after the results of the October 25 election were announced. Domazet states:

“At the PIO Fund, certain documents have been destroyed for several days now, and nights too (immediately after the results of the October 25, 2026 election were announced), documents that there is very strong suspicion are compromising for the current leadership of the PIO Fund. The documents are being thoroughly destroyed with machines (shredders) behind the locked doors of certain offices on the third floor of the RF PIO headquarters at 9 Dr Aleksandra Kostica Street in Belgrade.”

The union adds that it managed to save several black bags, which it says were “requisitioned in huge numbers beforehand” for this job. It also mentions “serious indications and suspicions” that data is being deleted or wiped from some computers, and that this data contains evidence of possible abuses.

The union demands a response from the state. The statement reads:

“We believe it is urgently necessary to alert the public and publish additional photographs, as well as to file appropriate legal remedies (reports and other filings) with the competent state authorities (police, prosecutors) and call on them to enter the headquarters of the Republic Pension and Disability Insurance Fund in Belgrade as soon as possible, in order to stop the further destruction of certain documents and possible evidence in proceedings that must be launched as soon as possible against those responsible at the RF PIO, because of the numerous (mis)deeds committed by the current RF PIO leadership, headed by Relja Ognjenovic, director of the RF PIO, whose resignation and dismissal we have officially requested from the competent authorities.”

The union thus says it has formally asked the competent authorities for the resignation, or dismissal, of Fund director Relja Ognjenovic.

What did lawyer Ivan Ninic post?

The story was set off by photographs that lawyer Ivan Ninic posted on X on October 28. They show black bags filled with shredded paper, and Ninic claims they were taken the day before, on October 27, at PIO Fund headquarters. With the photos he wrote:

“These are photos from yesterday from the directorate, the headquarters of the PIO Fund. The shredder is running nonstop, some things are just being torn up, others shredded to the finest bits and carried out to containers. I remind Relja Ognjenovic that things like this are a CRIMINAL OFFENSE, someone should explain that to him.”

The text of the post shows that Ninic originally wrote “criminal offense” in capital letters. The photographs alone do not say who shredded the paper or why, so the claim about the content of the documents rests with the author of the post and the union.

What is the Association of Retired Military Personnel Unions demanding?

The Association of Retired Military Personnel Unions of Serbia also demanded Ognjenovic’s resignation the same day. In a statement signed by the association’s president, Ilija Ovuka, it says Ognjenovic came to the director’s post as a party appointee without adequate education. The association accuses him of pressuring employees who supported the student movement or refused to take part in Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) promotions.

The association also claims Ognjenovic took part in the SNS election campaign in municipal and city branches of the Pensioners’ Association of Serbia, together with that association’s president, Andrija Savic, and with material support from public companies. Among its reasons for resignation are allegedly non-transparent and misdirected spending of the Fund’s money, and the fact that the director did not address pensioners and the public on whether a change of government would affect pension payments.

The association notes that it called for Ognjenovic’s removal on the same grounds back in March 2025, and criticizes the Fund’s Management Board members for staying silent. It urges pensioners to follow the political changes patiently, expecting that student movement representatives, after taking power in the Assembly and other state institutions, will not reduce pensioners’ acquired rights.

Has the PIO Fund responded?

No response from the PIO Fund or from director Ognjenovic to these claims has been published, and we are not aware that they have commented. Police and prosecutors have also not said whether they acted on the union’s call. Everything stated here about the destruction of documents comes from the ASNS union and lawyer Ninic, and has not been independently verified.