Skopje, 28 October 2025 (MIA) - The Skopje-based Criminal Court approved the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) and imposed a 30-day pre-trial detention on two managers from the public enterprise “Communal Hygiene” - Skopje, on grounds of reasonable suspicion of committing the criminal offense of “Endangering the Environment and Nature with Waste” as per Article 230, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.

Detention has been ordered for Sabahadin Rustemi, acting director of the enterprise, and Aki Saiti, waste manager, due to the risk of influencing witnesses and the likelihood of the crime being repeated.

According to the PPO, the suspects violated the Law on Waste Management and did not perform their duty to regularly collect and transport Skopje's municipal waste and keep the city clean.

Special inspection controls and the expert assessment from the Institute of Public Health have confirmed that such waste handling led to contamination of the soil, air, and water, with a potential threat to public health.

Photo: MIA archive