English
During the question time session in Parliament, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski discussed the Kocani nightclub disaster. Regarding the investigation and the official response to the disaster, Toskovski pointed out that there are 34 persons charged in two separate investigations, including the current and two former mayors of the city and a dozen other officials charged with inspections an public order.
Evidence is procured for these individuals and 31 of them are currently in detention. They are members of SDSM, VMRO-DPMNE, DUI and none of them are targeted for their political affiliation, but on the basis of evidence, Toskovski said in a debate with DUI member of Parliament Blerim Bexheti.
DUI is trying to portray the charges against several of their top officials, including former Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi, as being politically driven. Toskovski responded that it was Bekteshi who approved the issuing of a permit to the Pulse nightclub, even though it clearly did not meet the safety criteria.
You are aware that no criminal charges were filed by the Interior Ministry over the Tetovo hospital fire, or over the deaths of 45 people in the bus accident in Bulgaria. You allege that there was a black market business with issuing permits to clubs. Who ran this business? Who ran the Economy Ministry over the past 15-20 years? I don’t remember anyone else running it. So who was running this business?, Toskovski told Bexheti, whose party long held the top position in the Economy Ministry.
