Commission says Novi Sad Station contractor blacklisted by World Bank

A concrete awning collapsed at the station in the northern Serbian city on November 1, claiming 15 lives. Protests in the city were launched followed by university student protests with demands for accountability.

Commission of Inquiry member university Professor Vladimir Obradovic told a presentation of the investigation results that EGIS d.o.o. was the company that declared the station safe for the public following reconstruction but added that the company is known for “corrupt and fraudulent practices” which resulted in a temporary ban on World Bank projects.

“The construction diary, an official document published on the Serbian government portal, is dated July 4, a day before the station was opened. It is stamped and signed. It says that the conditions are in place to open Wing B for public use. This document shows that the overseeing engineer from the EGIS group concluded that the station was safe and ready for public use,” Obradovic said.

Fellow commission member Professor Ognjen Radonjic said that under the commercial contract for the station reconstruction, the work was not finished. He said Serbia has an obligation to see that contract completed under the terms of a loan with China’s EXIM Bank while Professor Dusan Dobromirov said the financial reports by Chinese subcontractors show an arrogant colonialist attitude towards Serbian regulations.