Kocevski: 19 new suspects for four are required to be detained, for six house arrest, for eight more precautions, one is out of the country

The Kocani Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office has expanded the investigation into the fire at the Kocani Club « Pulse » for 19 new people. All, as well as the previous investigation, are suspected of « serious offenses against general security » under Article 292 in relation to Article 288 of the Criminal Code. Of these, four suspects have been detained for six suspected house arrest in combination with a ban on communication, while eight more have been proposed for precautionary measures. One suspect at the time of opening the investigation was outside the country, state prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said at today’s joint press conference with Interior Minister Pance Toskovski.

In office, the new suspects are: three authorized building inspectors in the municipality of Kocani, three directors of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue In addition to one director who is already in the process, one general inspector in the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, three economics ministers, three officials in the Ministry of Economy, two State Secretaries in the Ministry of Economy. The current Minister of Economy is not covered by the investigation, as there is no evidence so far that it has been requested to extend the license of the Pulse Club facility in Kocani, State Prosecutor Kocevski told a journalist question.

The state prosecutor specifies that an investigation into 45 natural and three legal entities has been launched so far. One of the individuals in the meantime died and the investigation will be suspended against him. In addition, as he said, there is also an investigation against seven police officers. He said that the investigation would be maximally effective and give the desired effects.

-In the past period, the prosecutor’s team, which has expanded to a total of 13 public prosecutors, has acted intensively and investigated more lines of responsibility for the fire in which 61 people were unfortunately killed, including six children and injured 197 more than 25 children. In addition to those suspected of direct responsibility as owners, managers, entertainment organizers, security at the critical night club and beneficiaries of pyrotechnics, the responsibility of all institutions and officials who have been in the process of « Pulse » in the very beginning of the fire have been explored by their illegal acts. catering activity without meeting legal requirements for this and violating all the security rules for the lives of persons who visited the facility. The legal norms and security responsibilities are clear and they have been adopted and must be respected to avoid such a disaster, Kocevski said.

Regarding the responsibility of the local authorities, based on the investigative actions so far, in addition to the three Kocani mayors who are already suspected, the prosecution has raised a reasonable suspicion of a possible responsibility of three authorized municipal building inspectors, who have acted contrary to their competences and authority and authorizations on the law. For years he has been illegally converted from a light industry facility in a catering facility without any security standards.

In the framework of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, in addition to the previously suspected director, an investigation was launched for three more people in the same post, including the current director, as well as the General Inspector in the Directorate who was in that position during the entire period of the club’s functioning.

– There is a suspicion that they have acted contrary to their duty provided for in the Law on Protection and Rescue and the Law on Inspection and completely neglect their competencies not only in relation to this club, but also to other catering facilities in the country. Over the years, according to the risks that existed and had to keep in mind, they did not implement monitoring, monitoring and inspection of facilities that perform catering activities and cabarets. With their failure to perform the duties, contrary to the public interest, they have completely disrupted the protection and rescue system and thus continuously exposed the citizens to the danger of unverified and controlled facilities in terms of fulfilling the necessary legal requirements for safety, fire protection and danger to their health and life – said Kocevski.

In addition to the previously suspected Minister of Economy, Secretary of State and three more managerial officials, three more people are now newly suspected who served as Minister of Economy, two secretaries of secretaries and three other officials in the departments of catering and tourism.

-All of them, as well as the suspects in the Ministry of Economy, are being investigated because they allowed the cabaret club Pulse to receive licenses without meeting the minimum technical working conditions and illegally continue to perform catering activity for the entire period of opening to the fire. The current Minister of Economy is not covered by the investigation because there is no evidence that the club owner initiated a new license procedure in 2025 – says the state prosecutor.

From the point of view of the State Market Inspectorate, investigative actions to this point, besides three already suspects, he said, point to reasonable suspicions of four more market inspectors who were responsible for inspection for proper application of applicable laws and bylaws.

As for the two former directors of the State Market Inspectorate who are also investigating, checks for them continue primarily because of the circumstance that their mandate is binding to the period in which the club worked with a forged license, as well as several other licenses subject to checking.

An investigation is also investigated against seven police officers in the proceedings launched by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption, ie the specialized department for the prosecution of crimes committed by people with police powers and prison police members to fully establish a liability line, which will be immediately reported.

– The Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Interior and all the institutions that we are involved in this procedure feel a huge responsibility for the victims of this tragic event, but also to the citizens in general to fully examine it. The timeframe for the failure of the prosecution is based on the principle of: immediate omission – which is analyzed in the short -term period (eg unmistaking fire or failure to correct a defect that has immediately caused damage), but also long -term failure – which can be missed by system Later, the State Prosecutor explained regarding the public dilemmas of the scope, the responsibility and aspects of the investigation.

The so -called cumulative effect of the misses is also subject to analysis, ie if more different persons over a long period of time make repetitive flaws, and they are part of a wider causal relationship, as their summary effect can be critical.

-In complex cases, the analysis of the causality is not done at one time, but in chronological strings, which is why the repetitive failures of different persons over a longer period of time are taken into account when analyzing the causal link. In cases of long -term negligence, whole institutions or systems are responsible, not just individuals at the time of the consequence itself – Kocevski said, and cited them as an example worldwide fire at the Romanian club in 2015, the US club fire in 2003 and the Brazilian Club in 2013 – A series of flaws as factors that made the fire so devastating.

Kocevski also said that many more actions, interrogations and analyzes are ahead, stressing that the investigation will be maximally effective and will give all expected answers to this tragedy.

Minister Toskovski pointed out that the Ministry of Interior has undertaken a series of activities in order to clarify the legal-criminal event that has shown that the law applies to anyone who will be committed and gathering appropriate evidence, noting that this investigation must not be allowed to be subject to political squabbles.

– Macedonian citizens can make a difference for what has been implemented so far, compared to what has been done before. It is clear to everyone that the difference is huge. Unlike those 3-4 tragedies mentioned in the public, where we had 70 victims, in the past the Ministry of Interior had not filed any criminal charges with the PPO and there was no suspect. The figures of what we have done so far have the public prosecutor and that difference is huge. We show that the law applies to anyone who will be wrong and evidence will be provided. We must not allow this investigation to be influenced by a political mourning who want to earn a certain point, they think they can push us in a direction that would not be desirable in terms of doing one lawful and professions. We will continue to take appropriate activities for anyone who will gather evidence – said Toskovski.

Asked by Kocevski, Kocevski emphasized that in terms of the crime, the investigation shall be conducted in relation to Article 292 in relation to Article 288 of the Criminal Code for serious offenses against general security, but it is not excluded that there are other crimes if the team of public prosecutors who investigates this.

Asked if the retirement persons will also be covered by the investigation, the state prosecutor clarified that there is no obsolescence for this crime.

-The team of public environments also cared for that part of the obsolescence. As a breakfast point, 2012 was taken and there is no obsolescence for this crime until the day of the opening of the investigation – said Kocevski.

Regarding the competences of the Ministry of Economy, although there were no complete documentation for fulfilling the technical and security conditions of the facility in Kocani, they made a license, he clarified that since the beginning of the functioning of the « pulse » the necessary conditions for cabaret have never been met, but in essence the facility worked as a discotheque. « Guest cards were formally issued to the number that could receive this facility, which was 240, and at the time of the accident were present at about 650, » Kocevski said.

In the SSO, the evidence indicates that the essential gaps in the study of responsibility and the possible involvement of persons from this institution are precisely the management structure of the institution. What they had from an operational technical and preventive character to take over is disrupted in every sense, and the municipality of Kocani was left without authorizing protection and rescue inspector.

-Catering activity -discos and cabarets has never been subject to control and supervision, both in Kocani and throughout the country and the citizens were under potential endangerment in all catering facilities. This is something that one cannot believe but it is – says Kocevski.

The SMI has studied the role and responsibility of each separately, but unlike the SSO, he pointed out that the evidence here suggests that there is no equity.

Asked about DUI allegations that the investigation is directed to members of one party The State Prosecutor emphasized that there is no selection in this case, but the investigation is being conducted professionally.

-In this case there is no selectivity as in terms of national or party affiliation. All those for whom the prosecutor’s team considered to have an affected incriminated actions are covered. Regarding the national composition of the investigation I can not comment, I expect to still have such statements. Prosecutor’s Office will work laws – Kocevski said.

He expects the measures they have sought for the new 19 suspects have been approved because they are supported by evidence. An investigation into the catastrophic fire must end in two more months.