Skopje, 16 March 2025 (MIA) – Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told a press conference Sunday the Government would launch a “robust action” on Monday to inspect all documents of hospitality buildings following the devastating fire in a nightclub in Kochani. Asked if he would resign, the PM said he would first defeat “the corrupt system”, adding that the credibility of politicians would be determined at elections.

“Tomorrow we are launching a robust action aimed at checking all documents, all licenses, all construction permits, all working licenses, and I am convinced that we will find hundreds, dozens… If even a single millimeter is missing, they [the buildings] will be closed, there won’t be any mercy for anyone,” Mickoski said.

According to the dates on the falsified license for the nightclub in Kochani its validity expired two days before the fire, asked if he would dismiss the head of the State Market Inspectorate since the club was allowed to operate without a license, the PM said there is no document that says the State Market Inspectorate should control buildings “every day”.

“Based on what logic should the head of the State Market Directorate be dismissed? Firstly, this document is falsified, there is no license. There is no document, no provision in any law that states the State Market Inspectorate should control buildings every day, 365 days. Controls are carried out upon a complaint. The last time a state inspector went there was in 2022. Why they failed to identify any shortcomings and flaws then is a completely different issue and an additional investigation will follow,” the Prime Minister said.

Since it was reported that police officers were at the club as part of an action against drugs, journalists quizzed the PM why the police did not close down the nightclub if its license was expired, Mickoski said the police officers were not tasked with controlling whether the nightclub had a valid license or not.

“The police arrived five minutes before this event unfortunately happened. And at that moment, a group of police officers were with the person who was suspected of illegally selling illegal materials, while the police officer, who has unfortunately died, was checking the IDs of the attendees and determining whether they were minors or not,” the Prime Minister said.

Asked if he would resign, the Prime Minister said he would defeat “the corrupt system” first.

“First, I will defeat all of these people who have made this corrupt system corrupt, as a result of which the fire at the modular hospital happened, and everything else that has happened, and their servants and lackeys. Then we will hold elections and the citizens will be the best moral confirmation of the credibility of any politician,” Mickoski said.

Photo: Government