Skopje, 16 April 2025 (MIA) – The Skopje-based Criminal Court, following a proposal from the Prosecutor's Office, has ordered precautionary measures against six police officers, out of a total of seven suspected of "grave acts against general safety" in connection with the Kochani fire.  

The six police officers were brought before a pre-trial judge on Wednesday, at the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office. According to the Criminal Court, the pre-trial judge has ordered precautionary measures against them including seizure of their travel documents, ban on leaving their places of residence, reporting to court authorities, ban on contacts with other defendants and suspects, as well as ban on undertaking certain work activities.

The Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday opened an investigation against ten police officers over the fire in Kochani. Precautionary measures were proposed against seven suspects, while the remaining three suspects, the Prosecutor's Office noted, were included in the preliminary procedure.

"In this specific case, there is a reasonable suspicion that the suspects, as co-offenders, committed the crime of "grave acts against general safety", in the period from December 7, 2012 to January 21, 2022," said the Prosecutor's Office. 

According to the order for conducting an investigation, the suspects, as officials employed in the Shtip police sector and the Kochani police station, during the above-mentioned period, and as co-offenders, did not act in line with regulations on protection measures - they failed to carry out complete and detailed inspection over issuing a cabaret license for the "Pulse" nightclub, in the area concerning ​​traffic safety and public peace and order.  

By committing these actions, these officials enabled the legal entity to acquire a cabaret license, despite it not meeting requirements.

Criminal charges were initiated earlier on Wednesday against ten police officers in relation to the March 16 fire in the Kochani nightclub that claimed 61 lives and left about 200 people injured.

Photo: MIA archive