The State Inspectorate (DIRH) has announced that it has filed a criminal complaint against the official who issued the site licence for the construction of the small hydropower plant "Una-mlin" in Donja Suvaja at the source of the Una River, on suspicion of abuse of office and public authority.

DIRH filed the criminal complaint on the basis of Article 291, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, the Inspectorate announced on Thursday.

The Environmental Protection Inspectorate found that the project owner had not obtained an opinion from the competent ministry on the need for an environmental impact assessment before obtaining the amendment and supplement to the site licence. As a result, the Inspectorate issued an administrative offence order.

The Labour Inspectorate in the field of occupational safety verbally ordered, via a protocol, that the contractor must not use an excavator until an authorised person has checked its safety.

Later in the inspection, the employer provided the inspector with proof that the equipment in question had been inspected and tested by an authorised company and that it complied with health and safety requirements. During the labour inspection, no irregularities were found with regard to working conditions.

The Institute for Environmental Protection and Nature, which is part of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, has asked to check whether the construction of the small hydroelectric power plant “Una-mlin” has a harmful impact on nature, as the project is being carried out in the ecological network area Natura 2000 “HR 2001069 Canyon of the Una”,” according to the DIRH.

The hydropower plant project on the Una River has provoked protests from activists and the local population.