At the Basic Court in Pristina, brothers Dragisha and Jovan Viqentijevic and Igor Dimovic, accused of the attack on the "Iber-Lepenc" canal in Varaga, Zubin Potok on November 29, 2024, pleaded not guilty in the initial hearing, KosovaPress reports.

They made their statements after the indictment was read by special prosecutor Bekim Kodraliu.

Asked by the presiding judge, Vesel Ismajli, whether they felt guilty for the crimes they were accused of, Jovan and Jovan Viqentijevic said they did not feel guilty: "No, for neither."

Igor Dimović also declared the same.

"I wish to declare that I do not feel guilty for the criminal offense with which I am charged," he said.

The presiding judge, Vesel Ismaili, said that the defendants have 30 days to file a request to dismiss the indictment and challenge the evidence.

"The initial hearing session ends with this. I inform you, the accused, as of today, since the accused did not plead guilty to the criminal offenses they are accused of, you have the legal right as of today to file a written request to dismiss the indictment, to object to the evidence within the legal deadline of 30 days. The court will review, analyze and make a decision regarding your requests," said Ismaili.

But Jovan Viqentijevic's lawyer, Nebojsa Vllajic, asked the trial panel to join the criminal proceedings against his client, which are also taking place at the Basic Court in Peja, where he, along with his brother, is accused of murder.

"Regarding the requests for the dismissal of the indictment and the objection to the evidence, we will submit them to this court in written form within the deadline, but at the same time we will file a request for the consolidation of the criminal proceedings against the defendant that are being conducted in the Basic Court of Peja," he said.

However, special prosecutor Bekim Kodraliu added that they cannot interfere with the powers of the Basic Court in Peja, as it would hinder the investigations into those accused of murder.

"He (the lawyer) is a professional and should understand some legal issues. The criminal procedure in Peja is ongoing, it is a procedure under investigation and there is no legal possibility for the same case to be merged with the case that is only ongoing. We cannot interfere with the competences of the Basic Court in Peja, because we would hinder the investigation in Peja," he said.

According to the Prosecution's indictment, brothers Dragisha and Jovan Viqentijevic, on November 29, 2024, at around 18:50 PM, in the village of Varage, Zubin Potok Municipality, placed explosives in the "Ibër-Lepenc" canal, a public infrastructure that serves the supply of drinking water and the needs of the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) for the production of electricity.

The indictment, filed by special prosecutor Bekim Kodraliu, states that the accused, together with several other still unknown persons, after a prior agreement, with the aim of seriously intimidating the population of the country and endangering the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo, placed a significant amount of explosives for military use (about 20 kilograms of Trinitrotoluene "TNI") inside the canal.

With these actions, according to the Prosecution, the accused have caused a serious risk to the life and safety of the population and damage to the critical infrastructure of the state, where in this case the injured party - "Ibër- Lepenci" - has suffered material damages in the amount of 376 thousand 774 euros and 70 cents.

Meanwhile, in Count 2 of the indictment, the Viqentijevic brothers are also charged with illegal possession of weapons. According to the indictment, from an unspecified date until their arrest, during searches conducted by the Kosovo Police in their homes, one in Zubin Potok and the other in the village of Prevlaka, in the same municipality, a considerable amount of military weapons were found in their possession.

In point 3 of the indictment, it is stated that the accused Jovan Viqentijevic, from an unspecified date and continuously, until the moment of his arrest, on December 1, 2024, the defendant in his capacity as a recruit in the Military Service of Serbia, with the rank of colonel, acted and assisted this service, by collecting classified information and documents with the aim of using them during his illegal activity in the territory of Kosovo.

According to the indictment, he intended to communicate this information to the Serbian Military Intelligence Service through visits and meetings he held in Serbia with its officials. He allegedly obtained this information and documents from his espionage activities.

Also, according to the indictment, the defendant, with the aim of creating a harmful narrative for the state of Kosovo in relation to the international community, Viqentijevic, through a modified document, attempted to present the existence of a fictitious organization supposedly for the liberation of Albanian lands called the "National Committee for the Liberation and Protection of Albanian Territories", accompanying it with several photographs of senior superiors of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Meanwhile, Igor Dimović, in point 4 of the indictment, is accused of having been in possession of three magazines, one cartridge, a knife and several military uniforms, which were seized by the Police at the scene, from an unspecified date until November 30, 2024, at around 6:30 in the village of Varage, Zubin Potok, specifically in his house, during a search by the Kosovo Police. /KP/

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