Dejan Jovanov – “Deko” proposed as witness in trial over Kocani nightclub Pulse

At the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje the trial against nine police officers linked to the Pulse nightclub in Kocani continued today, with defense teams presenting proposed evidence from their lists.

The defense asked the court to admit several material items and to summon a number of witnesses, including Dejan Jovanov – “Deko”. According to the proposal, the witness should be questioned about whether he gained unlawful pecuniary benefit and whether he had contacts or a relationship with the accused Bobi Gidioski.

Defense submits documents and witness list

Defense counsel for the accused Bobi Gidioski, attorney Branko Kolev, told reporters after the hearing that they had proposed both documentary and verbal evidence, including 16 documents and eight witnesses.

“As the defense counsel for the accused Bobi Gidioski we have proposed many pieces of evidence, both material and verbal. From the material evidence we proposed around 16 documents, while from the verbal evidence eight witnesses, among whom is Dejan Jovanov – Deko, owner of the nightclub ‘Pulse’. We propose him on the circumstance because the prosecutor's representative claims that the accused allowed Deko to obtain a pecuniary benefit which is expressed as the salary he took as an employee for six months, so on that circumstance we request that he be heard, whether that was enabled by the accused,” Kolev said.

Kolev added that some of the submitted documents concern the work of the Ministry of Interior, specifically SVR Shtip, while others relate to problematic information about conditions at the Pulse nightclub.

“Part of the documents relate to the work of the Ministry of Interior, namely SVR Shtip, while the remaining part concerns problematic information that was concealed by the accused Bobi Gidioski as the chief of SVR Shtip, and which problematic information was submitted regarding the problems at the nightclub ‘Pulse’ that the Kocani Police Department had in Kocani; however that problematic information was concealed by the accused whom I represent,” Kolev said.

Public prosecutor Spasenka Andonova, representing the prosecution, announced that at the next session she will address each of the defense proposals separately. The court decided the main hearing will continue tomorrow at 12:00.

The trial against the nine police officers concerns alleged failures in checks and the issuance of permits for the Pulse venue. The prosecution alleges that the accused did not carry out the necessary checks of safety and legal requirements in full, thereby enabling the venue to obtain and use a license to operate. The officers are charged with abuse of official position and authority and have pleaded not guilty at earlier court appearances.

Photo: press material from the event