English
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said that so far there are no indications that the current Economy Minister has any blame for the Kocani nightclub disaster. Four former ministers were charged, considering that this department is the one that approves nightclub licenses.
In a joint press conference with Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, Kocevski said that there are 45 individual defendants and three companies that are investigated. The list includes half a dozen former ministers and the three most recent former mayors of Kocani, but not the current Economy Minister, since the Pulse nightclub permit was not renewed under his watch.
Minister Toskovski added that the time when circumstances were blamed for disasters, such as the infamous blaming of an extension cord for the Tetovo hospital disaster, has passed. Instead, actual officials who violated the law will be held responsible.
