October 12, 2020 – Almost without exception, whenever there’s a new development going on, someone is going to have objections and feel wronged, and that’s exactly what happened today at the site where the Pelješac bridge access road is being built.
A winemaker from Ston, Miho Rozić, was trying to save his vineyards and olive groves near Ston. today, Slobodna Dalmacija writes. The Ston bypass will become a part of the road system which will make the Pelješac bridge accessible from the South, and Rozić’s property is located exactly where it’s supposed to pass. So, when the construction machinery arrived today, Rozić was trying to defend his vineyards and not let them take down the walls, vines and olives, but he wasn’t able to stop the Greek company Avax’s workers.
His lawyers were trying to convince everyone at the site that the paperwork required for the works is not final yet, and that the olives and the grapes have not been picked yet. The local administration representatives, as well as the representative from Hrvatske ceste (Croatian Roadways) had a different opinion on the matter, and they prevailed today. Rozić claims that the road is going through his vineyards because of the corruption, which includes a concrete plant owned by someone related to a local politician, and that the concrete plant supplies materials to Avax as well.
Rozić negotiated with the Croatian Roadways previously, and he was asking for almost 4 million kunas for his property and the lost olive and grape harvest, as well as 34 thousand square meters in exchange. The Croatian Roadways haven’t accepted that deal and Rozić was given a bit over a million kuna.
Around twenty Ston residents supported Rozić family today, but nothing helped. In the end, Rozić was taken to the police station, to make a statement about the events of the day.
