Pulse Cabaret trial: Witness claims owner blocked police access

During the trial involving nine police officers accused in connection with a fire at the Pulse cabaret in Kočani, an inspector provided testimony regarding a 2023 inspection of the venue.

Despina Simeonova, an inspector for the Regional Center for Border Affairs East – Delčevo, testified that the cabaret owner, Dejan Jovanov, failed to present a valid work license to police officers during the 2023 control. Additionally, she stated that access to the facility was completely blocked by parked vehicles at the time.

Simeonova, who has been with the Ministry of Internal Affairs since 2001, detailed how inspections in the Kočani municipality are conducted. She explained that while some tasks are handled solely by foreign affairs inspectors under the Law on Aliens, other operational plans involve joint actions with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Market Inspection, and Labor and Social Work inspectors to identify illegal stays of foreign nationals.