The three suspects in the investigation into the pollution of drinking water in Gostivar were brought before a judge for preliminary proceedings at the Gostivar Basic Court Tuesday after the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) opened an investigation against them for the crime of serious crimes against the environment and nature caused by actions of pollution of drinking water.
The acting director of the Gostivar’s PE Communal Hygiene, Artana Asani, the technical manager Leon Mezini and the head of the Department for Water Supply, Sewerage and Construction Works, Vadedin Dauti, were brought before a judge for preliminary proceedings.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the suspects, as co-perpetrators, on June 25 ordered the installation of three submersible pumps in a canal with surface water containing harmful substances near the overflow chamber of the water supply system in order to test the water pressure. During the inspection carried out on July 16, it was determined that two of the pumps were still in operation and that water with harmful substances was being transferred into the drinking water system through them.
Analyses by the Public Health Institute (PHI) showed that the water from the surface canal was highly polluted and unusable for any purpose, and pollution was also found in samples from the captured spring and the water supply network, which is why the Prosecutor’s Office assessed that there is a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.
A judge in a preliminary procedure will decide on the measures that will be imposed on the suspects. The Gostivar Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that the investigation continues with additional investigative actions.
