Exposing Disinformation-for-Hire: A Serbian Minister, Opposition Figure, and the Israeli Operative
A recent investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has uncovered evidence that a Serbian minister attempted to discredit an opposition figure using a disinformation report, likely produced by an expert-for-hire. The investigation, titled #StoryKillers, suggests that Tal Hanan, an ex-Israeli special forces operative, was behind the operation.
In 2021, Serbian finance minister Siniša Mali presented a report on TV, alleging that opposition figure Dragan Ɖilas held offshore accounts filled with stolen money. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić made similar allegations against Ɖilas.
OCCRP and its partners have obtained a copy of Mali's report and discovered that it closely resembles a disinformation report pitched by Hanan as part of his disinformation-for-hire services. Two sources confirmed that Hanan was hired to produce the report on Ɖilas.
This report was part of a broader pro-government media frenzy in Serbia concerning Ɖilas's alleged offshore accounts. Pro-government outlet Večernje Novosti used the report to claim that Ɖilas held accounts in Mauritius and Switzerland. However, the OCCRP investigation confirmed that neither of these accounts existed.
Ɖilas denied ever holding offshore accounts and pointed out inconsistencies in the alleged bank statements when contacted by OCCRP partner @KRIKrs. He noted that the statements had the same format, despite supposedly coming from different banks. Ɖilas suspects that the Serbian government was behind the reports.