Belgrade [Serbia]: Outrage in Serbia after a Chinese construction company building a highway destroyed a war memorial monument honouring Serbian soldiers of world war I and II, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported. Only pieces of statues of fallen World I and II fighters remain now.

A Chinese construction company working on a highway project tore down the towering statues of fighters near the village of Negrisori. A plaque with the names of almost 150 fallen soldiers was also destroyed. The demolition of a monument in Serbia honouring the fallen soldiers of World Wars I and II has caused anger among veteran groups and local residents. Nikola Calovic, a Negrisori resident said, “I can’t believe someone destroyed a monument to people who gave their lives to this country. I will personally, in my name, file a criminal complaint with the competent prosecutor’s office,” as per the news report.

Dragomir Zivanovic, a Negisori resident, said, “I was literally in tears because this was something inexplicable. I have no comment adequate for this kind of act. I was born here and grew up here. I mean that is a sin, a sin against the ancestors, against the people who gave their lives,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported.

Meanwhile, Lucani Mayor Milivoje Dolovic said, “That monument was located on the route of the highway and the Chinese contractor had permission from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments from Kraljevo to remove it.” Meanwhile, the Serbian Ministry of Construction has disputed that the company was authorized to remove the monument.

As per the news report, the Highway Builder, China Communications Construction Company, has landed in trouble before also. Earlier, the World Bank had imposed sanctions against sanctions over fraud in the Philippines.