Fire in Kočani, inspector’s testimony: owner of ‘Pulse’ did not present license and entrance was impassable

During an inspection carried out in 2023, the owner of the “Pulse” club in Kočani, Dejan Jovanov, did not make the operating license available to police officers for verification. The entrance to the premises was also completely blocked by parked vehicles. These details were disclosed in court by Despina Simeonova, an independent inspector at the Regional Center for Eastern Border Affairs – Delchevo, who testified in the proceedings against nine police officers accused over the fire at the Pulse nightclub.

Simeonova was questioned directly by the prosecution. She stated that she has worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs since 2001 and that during 2022 and 2023 she continuously performed the duties of an inspector for foreigners, both in administrative work and in field activities.

Speaking about how checks were organized and about inter-institutional cooperation, the inspector explained that actions based on the Law on Foreigners are carried out only by inspectors for foreigners, while actions included in operational plans are carried out together with inspectors and officials from other institutions.

“When we work on our side, under the Law on Foreigners, the work can be carried out individually, and in that case only we, the inspectors for foreigners, act. When we work according to operational plans, additional plans of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – the Bureau for Public Security, this means that we have joint actions with other inspectorates, with colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the Market, Labor and Social Affairs Inspectorate, as well as with other inspectors needed under that operational plan, depending on needs,” Simeonova said.

According to her, in the Municipality of Kočani the checks focused mainly on hospitality facilities, hotels, motels, guesthouses and apartments that offered accommodation. The aim was to identify cases of irregular or illegal stay by foreign nationals.

As for the “Pulse” premises, Simeonova confirmed that several checks were carried out there in 2022 and 2023, always within her area of competence. For each check a report was prepared, which was then submitted to the Regional Center for Eastern Border Affairs.

The operations were carried out at night. At first they took place from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., while later the schedule was from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. To record irregularities and coordinate actions, each operational plan had a designated person in charge.

“He is responsible for preparing a report after completion and submitting it to the duty service, namely to the Kočani Police Station. I assume that the Kočani Police Station, according to the hierarchy of employees, the person in charge should forward it to the Shtip Internal Affairs Sector,” the witness said.

Asked about the traffic situation near the nightclub, the inspector said that traffic was chaotic and that vehicles blocked the way. She also mentioned the nearby hotel parking lot, which was full.

“It is chaos, in a word – you cannot get through. The parking lot used by the nearby hotel is full, and the road in front of the nightclub is impassable because of parked vehicles,” Simeonova testified.

The inspector also described how the venue’s operating documentation was requested. According to her, colleague Zlatko Kuzmanovski, who was responsible for the action plan, requested the operating license in her presence.

“At the request of colleague Zlatko Kuzmanovski, who was responsible for the action plan, the operating license of the ‘Pulse’ nightclub was requested in my presence. The owner Dejan Jovanov did not show us the license and did not give it to us for inspection, explaining that it was too late to call the accountant, as he was not on the nightclub premises, and that he would bring it on Monday. He claimed that he had submitted the documents for renewal of the operating license 15 days earlier in Skopje and at that moment claimed that the license was valid until March 31, 2023. Both my colleague and I noted this in the report that evening,” Simeonova said in her testimony.

The hearing against the nine police officers will continue with the questioning of witnesses and the administration of material evidence proposed by the prosecution.

On March 16, 2025, during a performance by the band ADN, a fire engulfed the “Pulse” nightclub in Kočani. As a result, 63 people lost their lives and more than 200 others were injured. The event is considered one of the gravest tragedies in the country’s recent history.

A total of 35 people and three companies are accused in this judicial process. Among them are the owner and employees of the nightclub, former economy ministers, former mayors of the Municipality of Kočani, inspectors and other officials. All are charged with the same criminal offense: “causing serious offenses against public safety.”