The trial of Jovan and Dragiša Viqentijević, who are accused of involvement in the attack on the Ibar-Lepenc canal, will continue tomorrow at the Basic Court in Pristina.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty during previous hearings, while Kosovo’s Special Prosecution maintains that the evidence collected during the investigation supports the indictment against them.
At the most recent hearing, Ernest Kerqeli, Director of the Water and Generation Department at the public company Ibër-Lepenc, testified about the emergency response following the explosion. He said that teams from the Kosovo Police, KFOR, and the company arrived at the scene shortly after the incident, while repair work began only after investigators completed their examination and authorized the intervention.
Kerqeli warned that if the damage had not been repaired immediately, the consequences for electricity generation, water supply, and district heating would have been severe, affecting citizens, healthcare institutions, and Kosovo’s critical energy infrastructure. He added that every day of delay in restoring the canal would have resulted in economic losses amounting to millions of euros.
The trial is expected to continue with the presentation of additional evidence and the testimony of other witnesses proposed by both the prosecution and the defense.
