Skopje, 9 June 2025 (MIA) - Police have detained Aleksandar Nacev, the owner of the agency that provided security for the ‘Pulse’ nightclub, where 62 people died and nearly 200 were injured in a fire on March 16.

The Interior Ministry confirmed to MIA that the individual A.N. has been taken into custody, following searches conducted at two locations in Skopje and Probishtip.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office said Monday morning that the investigation into the fire at the ‘Pulse’ nightclub in Kocani now includes another individual, who is being investigated for serious crimes against public safety.

The individual has been identified, based on evidence, as the de facto owner and responsible person of the legal entity under the investigation – a Skopje-based security agency. The evidence indicates that he directed the business operations and overall functioning of the agency, in coordination with the previously charged manager and the authorized head of the agency’s Kochani branch. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect has been taken into custody and will be subject to a request for pre-trial detention.

“The suspects provided property and personal security services for the ‘Pulse’ nightclub in Kochani throughout 2025 without a formal contract with the client. The newly accused individual actively managed the planning and execution of the security services through the legal entity. Alongside other suspects engaged as security personnel, they operated in violation of several provisions of the Law on Private Security. No prior security assessment or formal security plan was conducted, nor was there a fire safety inspection or evaluation of evacuation procedures. On the night of the fire, they failed to control or restrict the entry of minors into the premises, did not monitor or limit overcrowding, and did not prevent the entry and use of explosive materials – specifically pyrotechnics used by members of the performing band – which triggered the fire. As a result, 62 people died, 157 sustained serious injuries, and 54 others were left with minor injuries,” according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

The suspect is currently in custody, and based on the circumstances and legal grounds, the public prosecutor will today submit a motion for pre-trial detention to the investigative judge of the Basic Criminal Court in Kochani.

On May 28, The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Kochani has issued an order for an investigative procedure, expanding the investigation into the fire at the ‘Pulse’ nightclub in Kochani to include the owner of the building that housed the nightclub. As the owner of the property, the suspect leased the premises to another suspect without submitting a request or obtaining an approval for the change of the use of the building – i.e., for it to be used as a nightclub.

Photo: MIA archive