A police investigator launched a criminal prosecution regarding the failure to address the bark beetle calamity in Banska Bystrica region, Zuzana Hrabovska of the Police Corps Presidium's communication department has confirmed for TASR.
The police are interrogating witnesses, securing documentary evidence, as well as documents for the subsequent conduct of expert study. "With regards to ongoing actions, it is impossible to provide more details at the moment in order not to thwart the purpose of the criminal proceedings," said Hrabovska.
A criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator for failing to address the bark beetle natural disaster was filed by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and coalition MP Rudolf Huliak (Slovak National Party/SNS) in mid-May. According to them, hundreds of thousands of hectares have been invaded. According to the minister, the situation was critical back in 2021 and 2022, when the harvesting of the infested trees should have started as they now represent a seedbed allowing the bark beetle to advance further.
Foresters pointed to the bark beetle calamity in the vicinity of the village of Cierny Balog in early March. According to original estimates, an area of some 15,000 hectares was facing the natural disaster. The calamity should now be treated intensively, with bigger deployment of personnel and machinery, while up to one million cubic metres of wood may be felled.
(TASR)
