Almost seven months have passed since canopy collapse Railway stations in Novi Sad when 16 people were killed, and Survey Commission for the examination of responsibility for its collapse, on Saturday (May 31) as part of the Mikser festival, the Railway Infrastructure presented a report in which it is stated that they acted on instructions from the Presidency of Serbia.
As pointed out by Vladimir Obradović, professor at FON and member of the Survey Commission, in the Report on the degree of compliance of planned and implemented activities for the period from January 1 to September 30, 2024, it is stated that the second phase of the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station was completed on July 5, when the new station building was opened to passengers.
In the annex of the report, it is stated that the deadline for the completion of the works, according to the instructions of the Presidency, has been shortened to December 31, 2024, Obradović read.
"This document is official and registered, which was prepared by Infrastruktura Železnice, which was adopted by the Assembly of this company and which was given to the Government for adoption. This report was adopted the day before the canopy fell. It acknowledges and signs that the project was carried out according to instructions from the Presidency and that the deadlines were shortened according to instructions from the Presidency. We know that the Presidency has no legal authority over this. With this, Infrastruktura admits that it worked illegally," said Obradović.
He added that he was "surprised that the Prosecutor's Office had not dealt with this until now, that it had not invited Zoran Mihajlović and Ivica Kojić from the Presidency to explain."
In the address of the members of the Inquiry Commission, it was also said that the report explicitly mentions the canopy, even though Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and then Minister Goran Vesić and Railway Infrastructure and Chinese contractors claimed that the canopy was not reconstructed.
Forming a new subject?
Snežana Paunović, retired public prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, assessed that based on these facts, a new case can be formed or a part of the case opened in Novi Sad can be joined.
"From this document it can be seen that the railway line was opened even before it was announced that it would be opened. But if we know that neither the law on public procurement, nor the law on planning and construction, nor the Law on Obligations, nor the Infrastructure rulebook. There is a criminal offense in the field of official duty," she concluded.
Source: Today