Skopje, 19 March 2025 (MIA) - Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told journalists Wednesday that seven police officers from Kochani and Shtip are suspected of grave crimes against the general safety in relation to the fire in Kochani, and a prosecutor has proposed they be placed in detention. The suspects concluded that the “Pulse” nightclub meets all legal criteria in terms of the protection of public peace and order and in terms of traffic.

In addition to the seven officers, the Interior Minister said another person will appear before a pre-trial judge over the deadly fire. The person, Toshkovski said, holds a managerial post at the Ministry of Economy.

“A competent public prosecutor from the Specialized Department for Prosecuting Crimes Committed by Persons with Police Authorizations and Members of the Prison Police has ordered an investigation into seven police officers suspected of grave crimes against the general safety,” Toshkovski said at a press conference.

The Minister added that the officers, as officials at the Shtip and Kochani police, enabled the legal entity to acquire a license for a cabaret, by drafting, signing and providing a positive opinion, even though the building did not meet the legal conditions for that.

“Together, the suspects have caused significant risk to human lives and physical health, by allowing the cabaret to operate in substandard conditions which led to the death of 59 people, and caused 196 to suffer serious bodily harm,” Toshkovski said.

Toshkovski noted that the public prosecutor has proposed that all seven officers be placed in detention.

“Currently, the individuals have been secured by the Interior Ministry and are being taken to the relevant court, before a relevant judge, as part of a pre-trial procedure. Detention has been ordered for 18 people so far, not including the seven officers that will be taken before a pre-trial judge,” Toshkovski said.

Regarding the seven officers, Toshkovski said the first suspect, as the chief inspector for traffic affairs at the Shtip police, and the second suspect, as an independent inspector for planning a reserve team, prevention and crisis management, concluded that the cabaret meets the legal criteria in terms of the protection of public peace and order and in terms of traffic.

The third, as chief of the Shtip Police Department and the fourth as chief of the Shtip Sector for Internal Affairs approved and signed a notice to the Ministry of Economy stating the cabaret meets the legal criteria and acted against the law by not carrying out a complete check before issuing and providing the positive opinion for the cabaret license.

The fifth suspect drafted a telegram in which he did not list accurate and complete information over disturbances of public peace and order and crimes that were reported near the cabaret. While the sixth, as deputy commander, and the seventh suspect, as chief of the Kochani Department for Internal Affairs, approved and signed the telegram despite being aware of the reported disturbances near the cabaret. 

“They did not act in line with safety measures and did not conduct a complete and thorough check in relation to the issuance of a positive opinion about the cabaret, and as a result put people’s lives in danger,” the Interior Minister said.  

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