The decision of the prosecutor’s office in Negotin to release the company “Zidjin Koper” and its manager from criminal responsibility if they pay a humanitarian donation to the state budget, establishes a hazardous practice to tolerate endangering human health and the environment in Serbia.
This decision of the prosecutor’s office is not in the public interest and confirms the servile attitude of the state authorities of Serbia towards foreign companies, especially Chinese ones, which are known for their low environmental standards.
The fine of only nine thousand euros is insultingly small when you consider the fact that Zidjin is doing business worth hundreds of millions of euros in Serbia. Such decisions of state bodies stimulate companies to continue polluting nature, instead of preventing it.
The prosecutor’s office in Negotin ordered the company “Zidjin Koper” and its director to pay one million dinars for humanitarian purposes due to heavy metal pollution. The prosecution acted on the criminal report of the Regulatory Institute for Renewables and Environment Regulatory Institute (RERI), which was submitted based on the results of the analysis of sludge from the river Pek, conducted by the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bor. The result of the analysis showed that the river is extremely polluted, i.e., that it has 17 times more copper than allowed, arsenic 3.5 times more than allowed and lead almost twice as much as allowed. Also, the results of sampling of surface and wastewater conducted by the Public Health Institute Timok from Zajecar, showed that downstream from the mine Zidjin exceeded the limit values of pollutants, and iron in the amount of five times higher than the allowed value, as well as manganese in twice the amount of the allowed value.