SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
Seven police officers have been named suspects in connection with the nightclub fire in Kocani.
Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said at a press-conference on Wednesday that they had been the ones that had enabled and contributed to the tragedy by drawing up and signing off on illegal documents. They are suspected of having carried out the activities during the issuing of the license in 2023.
Among the seven suspects are the Chief Inspector of Traffic Affairs with the Stip Internal Affairs Sector and an independent inspector, who are suspected of having found that the Pulse nightclub met legal conditions regarding protection of public order and peace. The third and fourth suspects are the Sector’s Chief, as well as the head of the Sector’s Department of Police.
They are suspected of having approved and signed off on a notification to the Economy Ministry, saying they’d found that the nightclub met legal conditions even though they hadn’t done a full check before their approval of the positive consent for the license.
The fifth person, in the capacity of documentarian at the Kocani Police Station, drew up a telegram in which he didn’t enter complete and accurate data regarding reported violations of public order and peace and crimes near the Pulse nightclub, while the sixth and seventh person, in the capacity of the Kocani Internal Affairs Department’s Deputy Commander and Chief, respectively, approved and signed off on that telegram, that is, they didn’t act according to regulations concerning protection measures and didn’t do a complete and comprehensive check regarding the issuance of positive consent for the night club, Toskovski stated.
The seven officers have each been issued a 30-day detention measure. So far, 18 other persons have been issued a detention measure in the case.
Sitel reported at around 7 pm that the request for 48-hour detention that had been sought for the 19th person had been accepted too. For the 16 people, the 48-hour measure has been extended, while on Tuesday, another two were issued the same measure, the TV station added.
