Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed Saturday that 15 individuals had been arrested on suspicion of embezzlement during the construction of a road in the Pozarevac municipality, eastern Serbia.

Dacic explained that the crimes were committed between 2005 and 2007 and that former Director of Putevi Srbije Branko Jocic is thought to have been the leader of the group. Jocic already has outstanding indictments for embezzlement.

The arrests were conducted Friday at the order of the prosecutor's office, Dacic remarked.

According to the police, General Director of Preduzece za Puteve Beograd Slobodan Jovanovic, Pozarevac municipality manager Predrag Pajic and some other municipal and Putevi Srbije officials were arrested.