On the orders of the company “Ibar-Lepenac,” the “Jezero” motel was demolished today. This is the 17th demolition at Lake Gazivode in the past month. The demolition is taking place despite the recent call by the European Union on the Kosovo authorities to suspend all actions until court disputes are resolved and ownership is determined.
Workers hired by “Ibar-Lepenac,” accompanied by the Kosovo Police, arrived at the shore of Lake Gazivode at around 7 a.m., while heavy machinery began the demolition after 10 a.m.
Members of the Jakšić family, the owners of the motel, which also includes a beach bar, watched the demolition.
Jordan Jakšić said they did not expect the machinery to arrive, considering that they had filed a lawsuit against “Ibar-Lepenac,” and had only learned yesterday that the court hearing had been scheduled for August 12.
A “property release request” from Ibar-Lepenac was delivered to the beach bar and the “Jezero” motel on July 14. In the meantime, the family operating the beach bar on behalf of the owners filed a criminal complaint against “Ibar-Lepenac” director Faruk Mujka and also initiated civil proceedings, requesting that the court issue an interim measure prohibiting any demolition or alteration of the existing condition until the property dispute is resolved.
Despite that, the motel was demolished today.
Including this motel, 17 structures have been demolished since the end of June.
The European Union in Kosovo previously called on the authorities in Pristina to immediately suspend all further demolitions of Serbian-owned property, forced removals of structures, and property seizures in the Gazivode area.
Earlier today, workers hired by the company “Ibar-Lepenac” began demolishing the “Jezero” motel at Gazivode, accompanied by the Kosovo Police, while members of EULEX and KFOR were also present at the scene.
Employees who had been inside the building were forced to leave this morning after police entered the facility. Yellow tape was placed around the complex, and a large number of Kosovo Police officers were deployed at the site.
Police checked the identification documents of journalists and, after several minutes of verification, allowed them to continue toward the dam, where they underwent another inspection.
After the expiration of the 15-day deadline given by the public company “Ibar-Lepenac” for the Jakšić family to vacate the “Jezero” hotel complex with its beach at Gazivode, known among locals as “Šiptarska Beach,” workers from the public company arrived at the location this morning. Heavy machinery also arrived at the same time.
“Ibar-Lepenac” workers removed belongings from the building, while the entire property was cordoned off with tape.
Workers from KEK first disconnected the electricity. On the road leading to the “Jezero” motel, near the dam, a Kosovo Police vehicle was also stationed.
As a reminder, yesterday marked the expiration of the deadline that the company “Ibar-Lepenac” gave the owners of the “Jezero” motel and beach bar to “vacate the property,” which the company claims had been unlawfully occupied.
A “property release request” from Ibar-Lepenac was delivered to the beach bar and the “Jezero” motel on July 14. In the meantime, the family operating the beach bar on behalf of the owners filed a criminal complaint against “Ibar-Lepenac” director Faruk Mujka and initiated civil proceedings, requesting that the court issue an interim measure prohibiting any demolition or change to the current condition until the property dispute is resolved.
On the orders of “Ibar-Lepenac,” a total of 16 structures had previously been demolished at Lake Gazivode, including five cottages and one house in the village of Čečevo, as well as another 10 cottages below the road leading to that village.
In addition, on July 23, the inspectorate of the Kosovo Forestry Agency, operating under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, sealed at least three cottages on the shore of Lake Gazivode near Međeđi Potok.
The operation continued in the following days, with similar notices appearing on around ten more buildings.
The European Union in Kosovo has called on the authorities in Pristina to immediately suspend all further demolitions, forced removals of structures, and property seizures in the Gazivode area.
Dragiša Mijačić, director of INTER and owner of the “Rezala” camp, which was taken over by Ibar-Lepenac in June, previously stated that Ibar-Lepenac has no legal basis to request proof of property ownership from either the residents of Rezala or any other citizens of Kosovo.
“This is legal violence carried out with police assistance, resulting in the unlawful demolition and seizure of property,” he said.
Faruk Mujka, director of “Ibar-Lepenac,” told RTK that “more than 80 illegally constructed buildings” had been identified along the shores of Lake Gazivode.
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Source: Nova.rs; Foto: Andrija Lazarević / Nova rs