Court hearing for the attack on the Ibër-Lepenc canal, defendants again plead not guilty

At the Basic Court of Pristina, a hearing was held today for Jovan and Dragisha Viqentijeviq, who face charges of participating in the terrorist attack that struck the Ibër-Lepenc canal in November 2023.

Both defendants again pleaded not guilty to the charges they face, reiterating their stance even after the initial hearing.

The Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo has emphasized that the evidence gathered during the investigative phase confirms the involvement of the accused in the relevant criminal offenses.

Furthermore, the prosecuting body has highlighted that the investigations have also brought to light the role of the Serbian Government in the preparatory phase of this terrorist act.

At Wednesday’s hearing, witness Ernest Kerqeli, director of the Water and Generation Department, testified about the events after the explosion. He stated that police units, KFOR, and company employees had quickly arrived at the incident site, and that damage repairs were allowed only after approval from investigators.

During questioning by the presiding judge, Vesel Ismaili, Kerqeli affirmed that he had not noticed any sign of explosion or the presence of persons in that area.

When asked about the consequences that would have resulted without immediate intervention, witness Kerqeli warned that the consequences for Kosovo’s citizens and infrastructure would have been extraordinary. He explained that the lack of electricity, telephone services, heating, and water would have been evident, greatly impacting Pristina and the areas supplied by Termokos, as well as the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (QKUK). According to him, the immediate shutdown of Thermal Power Plant B would have caused severe infrastructural damage, costing millions of euros per day, an amount that would increase for every 24 hours of delay.