Two buses belonging to the owner of the travel company „Joe Travel,“ Goran Antic from North Mitrovica, were damaged by still unknown persons last night. Antic expressed suspicion that the attack happened due to his publicly shared views, recalling that this is not the first time his property was damaged. He told KoSSev that he doubts the police will be able to find the perpetrators. The Kosovo Police, on the other hand, say that they are working on the case.
Goran Antic revealed that he found the buses with their windshields cracked around 6:30 this morning. The buses in question were parked at a parking lot near PUC „Standard“.
„I suspect that the damage was done around midnight or early in the morning and that it was carried out by two or three people,“ he said, adding that he immediately notified the police.
They took my statement like the last time, but they are also powerless. They need permits to access the nearby cameras, so I doubt they will do anything. I reported the case purely because it is my duty – he states.
Last year, Antic also filed a report with the police after the windows of seven buses in his ownership were also broken. He adds, however, that the perpetrators have never been found.
„They should have no problem in finding them. This is a small place, and the groups that carry out such things are usually the one and the same. Therefore, the police either won’t act or maybe they are not allowed to,“ said Antic.
He also alleged that the citizens of North Mitrovica are „unprotected and left to their own devices“ if the police are unable to shed light on such cases.
„You must deal with lawlessness with even greater lawlessness“
He reveals that he is pondering civil disobedience, because „you must deal with lawlessness with even greater lawlessness.“
Antic says that he might start protesting and parking his buses on city streets.
„Maybe then someone will take note of my problem… I have no choice, the only other thing I can do is wait for them to continue damaging my property and endangering me. I will pay for the repairs on my buses now as I did the previous three times, but what then. They break things, and I fix them,“ adds Antic, noting that he might also report the case to the authorities in Pristina.
I suspect that the attacks are related to my political views
When the incident happened, the buses belonging to different travel companies were also parked in the same parking lot, he explains.
„Not a single one of them was hit. I’m not saying that the people who own these buses are behind this, but it’s a logical conclusion that only my buses were purposely damaged,“ he points out.
According to Antic, this is the reason why he suspects the attacks against his property are related to his “freely expressed views” on social networks, including comments on politics, in which he criticizes the local government.
Antic underlined that he has not received any direct threats so far.
„I am a businessman and I manage my own business and employ people, I don’t ask the authorities for anything. I just want to be left alone to do my job. The fact that I do not agree with them and publicly criticize the local authorities is my personal matter and freedom of expression.“
If the local government does not criticize such cases, then it must mean it supports and organizes them
On the other hand, if the attacks against his property do not have a political background, he suspects the competition may be behind them. „It’s the same thing, isn’t it,“ he adds.
KP: We are working on the case
In the meantime, the Kosovo Police of the region north confirmed for KoSSev that two buses owned by Goran Antic were damaged.
The police classified the case as „damage or destruction of property“.
„The owner of the company ‘Joe Travel’ with the initials G.A. contacted the police at 6:30 a.m., saying that two Setra buses with Novi Pazar license plates were damaged by unknown persons in Lole Ribara Street at the bus stop during the night,“ the spokesperson of the Kosovo Police for the region north, Branislav Radovic, told KoSSev.
He specified that the windshields of both buses were damaged.
A police patrol, an investigative officer, and a forensic expert came to the scene.
„The prosecutor was also informed about the case, who ordered that a case of ‘destruction or damage of property’ be opened. A written statement was taken from the owner,“ said Radovic.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.