In brief
The National Bank of Serbia revoked the licence of Alta Banka on Saturday, and the following night owner and chair Davor Macura was arrested as reported by Nova.rs. The collapse has prompted investigations into money‑laundering allegations and regulatory action, including the revocation of Alta Pay Group’s payment‑services licence in Montenegro. The Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime has called for an investigation into the bank’s business operations and the conduct of NBS officials, with three people, including Macura, arrested over a suspected 45 billion RSD transfer.
In Belgrade, the Serbian National Bank revoked the licence of Alta Banka on Saturday, leading to the arrest of its owner and chair, Davor Macura, on Sunday night, according to Nova.rs as reported by BTA.
Macura, whose career began in a currency exchange bureau in Belgrade, has long been described by the media as a businessman with close ties to the Serbian Progressive Party and its leader Aleksandar Vucic, though his party membership has never been confirmed.
Following the licence revocation, irregularities in Alta Group’s operations were reported in North Macedonia and Montenegro. The National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia placed Alta Banka a.d. Bitola under temporary administration, a move that does not mean closing the branch but ensures continued operation, said Governor Trajko Slaveski during a press conference.
Montenegro’s regulatory authority revoked the licence for Alta Pay Group’s payment‑services business on Sunday. The Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime called for an investigation into the bank’s business operations and the conduct of NBS officials, accusing Macura and two others of taking more than RSD 45 billion (over EUR 380 million) from the bank’s vault.
High‑level diplomatic correspondence highlighted the situation: US Congressman Joe Wilson sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 14 October proposing that four Serbian businessmen, including Macura, be sanctioned for allegedly using public resources for personal enrichment. The allegations were denied by Alta Banka, and Macura was not sanctioned despite being named.
