Skopje, 25 January 2024 (MIA) – Defendants in the case on the ‘Laskarci’ bus crash of 2019, in which 16 people were killed and more than 30 injured, were sentenced today before the Skopje-based Criminal Court and received a total of 39 years in prison. 

The Criminal Court's trial council declared guilty the defendant Durmish Beluli, owner of the company "Durmo Tours", and sentenced him to four years in prison. The second accused Remzi Miftari, responsible for transportation at 'Durmo Tours', got six years in prison. In addition, defendants Igor Gjorgjievski, Goran Dukovski and Jane Bovarski, employees at the vehicle technical inspection station who are accused of complicity in the crime, received five years in prison each.

The driver of the bus, Manoil Trifunovski, received the longest prison sentence of 14 years. 

The defendants were also banned from performing their profession and duties for a period of five years.

According to the ruling, defendant Durmish Beluli, owner of the company "Durmo Tours" and the second accused Remzi Miftari, responsible for transportation at 'Durmo Tours', did not comply with the safety regulations in mass traffic, although they were aware that harmful consequences could result, and thus threatened the lives of the people who were transported by the bus.

"They allowed a technically defective bus to continuously participate in traffic without taking control and measures to ensure that it is in proper condition," said judge Diana Gruevska Ilievska. 

Defendants Igor Gjorgjievski, Goran Dukovski and Jane Bovarski, accused of complicity in the crime, have caused danger because, according to the ruling, even though they had noticed defects, they allowed the bus to pass the technical inspection.

The ruling states that the accused Manoil Trifunovski, a professional driver, though aware that he was operating a defective vehicle, carrying 55 passengers, failed to comply with the regulations and threatened public traffic.

The trial is presided over by the judge Diana Gruevska Ilievska, with public prosecutor Darko Jakimovski. 

Photo: MIA