Ibër-Lepenc Department Head: Canal Attack Caused More Than €376,000 in Damage, Intervention Prevented Millions in Losses

Ernes Kërqeli, director of the Water Regeneration Department at Ibër-Lepenc, testified before the Basic Court in Pristina regarding the terrorist attack on the Ibër-Lepenc canal on the critical night of November 24, 2024.

He told the trial panel that damage to the canal exceeded €376,000. According to him, the immediate intervention was crucial, as otherwise the consequences for Kosovo would have amounted to millions of euros.

Kërqeli said workers had notified him of the attack at around 19:00. Immediately after receiving the information, he alerted the teams and chief executive officer Faruk Mujka, although the exact location and extent of the damage were not yet known at that time. The company was subsequently also informed by the Kosovo Police, and all teams headed to the area.

He said he arrived at the scene from Gjilan with colleagues, where they determined that the damage was extremely extensive and that the company had never faced such a situation before. At the time, teams equipped with heavy machinery were carrying out work in the municipality of Zubin Potok, so they were called in to help repair the canal and prevent the water supply from being cut off downstream.

According to Kërqeli, work began only after permission was granted by the Police and the competent authorities. A temporary solution was implemented along the damaged section, but because of the extent of the damage, it was not fully functional. Six pipes were installed that night to keep the water flowing and prevent the supply to Kosovo B from being cut off.

On the night of the attack, the company’s team managed to restore only 75 percent of the regular supply. Kërqeli explained that the first solution became operational at around 02:00, but it did not work as intended because of damage to the end section, prompting the teams to switch to another alternative.

Supplies to the water utilities remained cut off for 3-4 days. Even after five days, the water utilities were initially unable to receive supplies at full capacity.

The damage, amounting to more than €376,000, was repaired through a project financed by the World Bank. Kërqeli explained that it was an existing project backed by a World Bank loan and focused on rehabilitating the canal.

He said the damage report had been compiled by the consultants and companies engaged to supervise the project, as well as by the World Bank. Based on that assessment, the cost of the damage caused by the attack exceeded €376,000.

The Ibër-Lepenc representative also stated that he had never met any of the defendants. Asked by presiding judge Vesel Ismajli who had been present at the scene, he said Kosovo Police officers, KFOR personnel and company workers who had arrived before him were there.

According to Kërqeli, repairs did not begin without the approval of investigators, as samples were initially being collected and other experts had also arrived at the scene. He added that he had not noticed any human traces.

Speaking about the consequences that a failure to intervene that night would have caused, Kërqeli said the damage to Kosovo’s citizens would have been immense. According to him, the country could have been left without electricity and telephone lines, while Pristina residents would also have lost some Termokos services and would have been unable to receive heating.

He stressed that the University Clinical Center of Kosovo would have been left without electricity, heating and water, which is essential for hygiene. According to him, an immediate shutdown of the Kosovo B Power Plant would also have caused severe consequences for KEK’s infrastructure. Kërqeli estimated that losses would have run into the millions on the first day alone and that each additional day of delay would have added millions more in damage.