SKOPJE (Republic of North Macedonia), June 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prosecutors on Friday pressed charges against 34 persons and three legal entities for the March 16 nightclub fire in Kocani that killed 62 and left almost 200 injured.
The nightclub’s owners, members of their families, former mayors of Kocani, inspectors, security guards, former ministers and employees in state institutions, as well as an architect, are all included in the indictment.
They are accused of committing “grave acts against public security”, except for one person who is additionally accused of “soliciting bribery” in exchange for making forged licenses so the nightclub could operate.
All of them were part of a “systemic collapse” that led to one of the worst tragedies in North Macedonia’s history, Chief State Prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said in Skopje.
The first accused are three owners and managers of the company Klasik DM DOO Kocani whose subsidiary firm, MMM Kafe DOOEL Kocani, operated the Pulse nightclub, which caught fire on March 16.
They are accused of carrying out catering activity from 2012 to 2025 in a building which had not been properly reconstructed and converted into a nightclub.
“The building did not comply with any regulations regarding the materials used, the number of evacuations exits, or the number of parking spaces, and there were no fire protection installations,” Kocevski stated.
Three former Kocani mayors as well as four former heads and one chief inspector of the Safety and Protection Directorate are among the accused. The prosecution said their inaction failed to prevent the danger that was looming.
Two former Economy Ministers are also among the accused; their ministries had allowed the nightclub to work, despite its clear non-compliance with safety provisions.
Three construction inspectors are accused of not holding inspections of the facility, which they knew had many flaws and was unfit to be a nightclub.
The inferno at the Pulse nightclub erupted on March 16 during a concert by a locally famous band, DNK.
The prosecution determined that the cause of the fire was the use of pyrotechnics. Sparks from pyrotechnic fountains used on stage set the roof – which was made out of easily flammable material – on fire. As the fire spread, panic in the crowded venue ensued, but the exits, also improperly designed, trapped many of the guests inside.
As a result, 62 mostly young people were killed in one of the worst tragedies the country has ever seen. Close to 200 others were injured, some of them badly.
Charges are pressed also against those who prepared and operated the firework show.
In addition to the charged persons, the authorities on Thursday arrested 13 police officers from Kocani.
Prosecutor Kocevski explained on Friday that they are suspected of committing the same acts against public safety – for their involvement in the preparation and execution of a faulty action plan to secure the nightclub on the night of the fatal concert. They did not calculate the risks and had failed to prevent the use of fireworks, the Chief Prosecutor said.
Eleven previous suspects, including two other former Economy Ministers and a former head of the State Market Directorate, will not now face charges due to lack of evidence. Procedures have been halted for one injured suspect while he is recovering.
Another suspect, the manager of the firm operating the nightclub, has meanwhile died in hospital, so charges have been dropped.
Ever since the tragedy, relatives and friends of the victims in Kocani have been holding weekly marches against “selective justice”.
As PM Hristijan Mickoski has promised that all those involved will face consequences, the main opposition Social Democrats are instead demanding the resignation of the current Interior Minister, Pance Toskovski, on whose watch the tragedy happened. — NNN-AGENCIES
