Skopje, 13 April 2025 (MIA) – Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski, expects that soon institutions in the country will be able to contact Driton Kuqi, the Ambassador to Norway and former Minister of Economy, who is currently abroad and is one of the 19 new suspects in the expanded Kochani nightclub fire investigation.

"According to what the person you mentioned stated, we expect that the same will soon be available to institutions in Macedonia," said Toshkovski in response to a journalist's question about whether he had information on when the Ambassador to Norway will return to the country, considering that the ambassador publicly announced he would return on the first flight.

Kuqi posted on social media after being informed that police officers had visited his home with an invitation for questioning, following reports that he and other former economy ministers were detained or under suspicion in connection with the Kochani nightclub fire.

When a journalist asked whether those who protested against the Kochani tragedy had been charged with a crime, Toshkovski partially confirmed and stated that criminal charges would be pressed against anyone for whom there is sufficient evidence of a criminal act.

“In this specific case, I cannot go into detail, but in general, wherever evidence exists that a criminal offense has been committed by anyone, whether they are in a specific institutional position or whether they act unlawfully on the streets, the Interior Ministry will take action. The key point is that, once and for all, we must all agree on whether we will abide by the rules of the game. If we wish to have a state, we must respect the rules,” said Tochkovski at Sunday’s joint press conference with Chief Prosecutor Ljupcho Kocevski.

Photo: Interior Ministry