Coal Mine Car Burned Down Due to Technical Malfunction on the Property Milan Lekić, the former chairman of the board of directors of that company, so no one will be held criminally responsible for that incident.
This was confirmed to "Vijesti" by the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Pljevlja, after a fire expert determined the cause of the fire.
A Renault Laguna vehicle burned down on February 1st in the afternoon in the village of Rađevići, Pljevlja.
Initially, it was not known whether the fire was caused by a malfunction in the vehicle's electrical installations, or whether the fire spread to the vehicle after setting the meadow on fire, given that the footage, which was available on social media immediately after the fire, shows that a large part of the meadow was also burned.
The meadow where the vehicle burned, according to unofficial information from "Vijesti", is owned by Milan Lekić, who, after resigning as president of the Board of Directors, continued to work as a mining engineer at the Coal Mine.
Rudnik also confirmed to "Vijesti" that the fire was caused by a malfunction in the electrical installations, but also that they fined the driver for violating his work obligations, because he used the company vehicle for private purposes without authorization that day.
"The Pljevlja Coal Mine was notified at the beginning of April by the Pljevlja State Prosecutor's Office, regarding the fire on the official car that you are interested in, that the state prosecutor Sanja Golubovic "based on the documentation, findings and opinions of experts in the field of fire protection and explosions, assessed that in this specific case there are no grounds for suspicion that the actions of any person contain elements of a criminal offense for which they are being prosecuted ex officio. In accordance with the submitted findings, the cause of the fire in the vehicle is stated to be a technical failure, i.e. overheating of electrical circuits or some other defect in the engine area of the vehicle," they answered "Vijesti" when asked whether the Coal Mine was informed by the prosecutor's office about the cause of the vehicle fire in the village of Rađevići in Pljevlja.
Rudnik responded that on February 1, when the fire broke out, "the official vehicle was being driven by a RUP employee assigned to the workplace as a passenger vehicle driver at the office of the Board of Directors."
"Regarding the reason for which the vehicle was used, a subsequent check determined that the vehicle was not used for official purposes. Due to a violation of work obligations, in accordance with the company's internal rules and procedures, the driver and the employee who used the vehicle for private purposes were fined," Rudnik ulja responded, without specifying the driver's name or the amount of the fine.
The car that Lekić crashed cannot be repaired.
Rudnik also responded to "Vijesti" that the company's official vehicle "Infinity", which was used by the then President of the Board of Directors Milan Lekić to cause an accident on October 11th last year in Volođina Street in Pljevlja, cannot be repaired.
That evening, Lekić was driving drunk with a blood alcohol concentration of 1,22 per mille.
"Regarding the 'Infinity' vehicle damaged in a traffic accident driven by RUP employee Milan Lekić, which occurred on Volođina Street in Pljevlja, according to the expert report, it was determined to be a total loss, meaning that the vehicle cannot be repaired. Given that the vehicle was fully insured, 90 percent of the damage was compensated by the insurance company, while the remaining damage was compensated by the employee Milan Lekić, which is still ongoing," Rudnik responded to the question of "Vijesti" whether the Rudnik Uglja vehicle was repaired and who paid for the repair costs and in what amount.
For causing the accident, the misdemeanor judge fined Lekić 750 euros, three penalty points, and a protective measure of a three-month driving ban.
Three days after the accident, Lekić resigned as president of the Board of Directors of the Coal Mine and announced that he would pay for the damage caused to the official vehicle.
"I would like to inform you that I am resigning from the position of President of the Board of Directors of the Pljevlja Coal Mine. I am making this decision as a responsible man, believing that, taking into account all the circumstances, this is the only adequate solution at this time. Since taking up this position, I have always kept in mind the responsibility we bear towards our fellow citizens and all citizens of Montenegro. With all my efforts, I have strived to serve the interests of the people of Pljevlja, their well-being and progress. During my term as Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors, the Coal Mine achieved the best results in its history, and the citizens of Pljevlja and the whole of Montenegro can testify to this," Lekić said at the time.
Lekić was also driving a company vehicle while drunk at the end of May last year. He was then stopped by the traffic police in Pljevlja, after which a breathalyzer test determined that he was driving with over promille of alcohol in his blood.
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