“BREAKING NEWS: Electricity price increase, the Court gives a verdict” - is the title of the news article published on the "Facebook" page, Lajme Fresh 24.
This news portal has over 29 thousand likes on their Facebook page and through publishing unverified news, they have misled the general public.
In the published article they cite KlanKosova.tv as a source, but after verification it turns out the news is published on June 16th 2022, at 14:59.
Nevertheless, this news portal in all caps has already labeled the article in their headline as “BREAKING NEWS” presenting it as current news. Moreover, clicking on the news link automatically redirects you to a website called - bbcnewsm.com.
In the content of the text is the announcement of the Supreme Court, dated June 16 (2022), which talks about overturning the verdict of the Basic Court of Prishtina regarding the postponement of the implementation of the new electricity tariffs.
“The Supreme Court panel in the administrative conflict, according to the lawsuit of the plaintiff-proponent Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) against the defendant-counter proponent Energy Regulatory Office, (ERO), on the legal basis of annulment of the decision for the indicted, no. prot. 077/22 dated 16.02.2022 and request for the postponement of the execution of the same, deciding on the request for an extraordinary review of the court decision submitted by the indicted ERO, against the decision of the Court of Appeal, has approved the request as well-founded for extraordinary reconsideration of the court decision, submitted by the indicted, the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO), against the verdict of the Court of Appeal.” is written in the Court’s announcement.
The decision was issued after the Energy Regulatory Office increased electricity tariffs. This provoked many dissatisfactions, resulting in the Democratic Party of Kosovo deciding to challenge it in other juridical instances.
Considering the high public engagement for monetary gain, old news like this about energy tariffs are continuously posted by online sites, where neither their ownership nor their impressum is known.
*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”
