Skopje, 13 June 2025 (MIA) - An indictment against 34 people and three legal entities in connection to the March 16 deadly nightclub fire in Kochani has been filed. The defendants include business owners, managers, inspectors, mayors, security and civil servants. Due to lack of evidence, the prosecutors have stopped the proceedings against 11 individuals, including two former ministers.

“An indictment against 34 physical and three legal entities is filed today to the Kochani Basic Court involving crimes that had seriously put at danger the lives and bodies of people and property in a place where a large number of people had been gathered. In fact, it involves the fire that broke out during DNK’s performance on March 16, which killed 62 people, 157 people sustained life threatening injuries and left 54 people with injuries,” Chief Prosecutor Ljupcho Kocevski told a press conference on Friday.

The investigation found that three defendants - owners and managers of two legal entities Pulse club and cabaret in Kochani - were unlawfully operating the facility between 2012 and 2025, without meeting the minimum technical requirements and carrying out reconstruction works without a permit, as well as selling tickets beyond the club capacity and allowing entry of minors.

"An owner and a legal entity in Kochani is indicted for helping the club owner acquire documents for the facility, for the purpose of getting a license," said Kocevski.

Three building inspectors from the Municipality of Kochani are also indicted for failure to carry out inspections and undertake measures to remove irregularities in the Pulse club.

Three former mayors of Kochani, in office between 2012 and 2025, are also indicted. Although aware that the facility is unsafe and operating against the law, they failed to undertake measures for its closure.

The manager of the security agency and four other security guards, one of whom did not even hold a license for physical security, are also indicted. They provided security to the facility without a written contract or prior security assessment of the building, including evacuation options, inspection of the entrances and exits and its capacity.

Four directors of the Protection and Rescue Directorate and a general inspector, in office between 2012 and 2025, are also indicted for failing to undertake measures for fire protection and failure to carry out the proper inspections. In addition, the head of the inspection service within the PRD failed to coordinate the activities in line with the Law on Inspection Oversight, thus allowing the facility to operate without proper protection.

Five civil servants, a state secretary and two ministers are indicted for improper issuance of hospitality licenses to the Pulse club, which did not meet the legal requirements.

"The procedure has been stopped for five persons in this group, including two former ministers, because the evidence collected is not sufficient for an indictment," noted Kocevski.

Another civil servant, who was in charge of drafting the licenses for the club, asked and received cash on two occasions, amounting in total to Mden 238,000 (EUR 4,000).

"He drafted two falsified licenses, verified them using the Ministry of Economy seal, and forged the signature of the state secretary who is also a defendant in the case," said Kocevski.

Four inspectors from the State Market Inspectorate, covering Kochani, Sveti Nikole, Delchevo, Berovo and Vinica, are also indicted for failure to act in line with several laws in the field.

"Each of these links in the chain had the power and authority to prevent the tragedy or reduce the number of casualties, but they all failed," underlined Kocevski.

MIA file photo