English
Additional 19 suspects were charged today over the Kocani nightclub disaster. The group includes three former Economy Ministers – that is the department that is tasked with issuing licenses to nightclubs – as well as a current minister.
The three former ministers are Valon Saracini, Bekim Neziri and Driton Kuci, who is currently Macedonia’s ambassador to Norway. In a social media statement, Kuci said that he is returning to the country with the first available flight to face the charges.
Current minister without a department Shaban Saliu is charged in his capacity as former head of the DZS rescue service. The current DZS head Xhevat Selami is also charged, as is another former head of this institution Adnan Dzaferovski. Viktor Dermendziev, former head of the market inspection service, is also on the list.
State prosecutors said that there are now 45 suspects in total charged over the fire, including the last three mayors of Kocani and numerous central Government officials, as well as the owners of the club. All are charged with serious crimes against public safety. A total of 61 mainly young people were killed in the fire that erupted during a concert in the Pulse nightclub in Kocani that included pyrotechnics.
