Utiber Company Refutes Claims of Supervising Novi Sad Railway Station Reconstruction.
Image from the accident scene, Photo: Reuters
The company “Project Biro Utiber” has dismissed claims that it was responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, according to Beta reports.
This response came after allegations made by engineer Zoran Đajić.
In their statement, they clarified that it was “another company” within the consortium, which included “Project Biro Utiber,” that held responsibility for supervising the station’s reconstruction.
“Therefore, we are perplexed as to why our company is cited as accountable concerning the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, given our lack of involvement in that aspect of the project,” reads the statement.
Engineer Zoran Đajić, who was involved in the station’s reconstruction, previously informed the Beta agency that the chain of responsibility “extends from the subcontractor—Starting doo, through the main contractors CRIC and CCECC, the supervision by Utiber, the investor Railway Infrastructure, the financier Ministry of Construction, and the Presidency of Serbia.”
In 2022, six companies were selected for professional supervision of the Novi Sad Railway Station reconstruction project, with “Project Biro Utiber” serving as the project leader, as reported by RFE/RL.
The reconstruction project for the Novi Sad Railway Station spanned three years.
On November 1, a canopy collapsed from the station building, resulting in 15 fatalities and two severe injuries.
Multiple investigations are underway regarding the canopy’s collapse. On December 30, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad filed charges against 13 individuals suspected of negligence related to the canopy’s reconstruction.
Among those charged are former Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Goran Vesić, his assistant Anita Dimoski, and the former director of the public company “Infrastrukture Železnice Srbije” Jelena Tanasković.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime in Belgrade is conducting a preliminary investigation into the financing of the Novi Sad Railway Station renovation project.
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