Three suspects investigated for burning cables at Bukovo; prosecutor seeks detention
Prosecutors say the suspects burned rubber cables at Bukovo landfill on 17 September to extract copper, releasing smoke and harmful substances.
The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Ohrid has issued an order to open an investigative procedure against three individuals on suspicion of the criminal offence "Endangering the environment and nature with waste" under Article 230(1) of the Criminal Code.
According to the prosecution, on 17 September the three suspects arrived at the Bukovo landfill in a cargo vehicle loaded with waste. They reportedly began burning rubber waste cables in order to extract the copper wires from them.
The burning produced smoke and released harmful substances into the air, the prosecutor's office said, creating an environmental hazard in the area surrounding the landfill.
Prosecutor asks court for pre-trial detention
The prosecutor filed a proposal with the pre-trial judge at the Basic Court in Ohrid requesting that the three suspects be held in custody. The request, the office said, cites primarily the risk of flight and the possibility that the suspects could influence witnesses during the proceedings.
The investigative order remains in force while the court considers the prosecutor's detention proposal and the ongoing inquiry by investigators and prosecutors in Ohrid.
Photo: press material from the event
