The Bulgaria 2010 Review: Crime and Courts

Crime | Author: Maria Guineva |January 6, 2011, Thursday // 21:57
Bulgaria: The Bulgaria 2010 Review: Crime and Courts The two alleged mafia bosses - Plamen Galev and Angel Hristov - are believed to hold the citizens of Dupnitsa on a leash. Photo by BGNES

2010 started with renewed vows coming from Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, and Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, to end organized crime in the country in just 12 months.

Borisov stated that the days ahead will be "black" not only for major criminals, but for neighborhood crooks as well.

Tsvetanov declared it is high time for Bulgaria's criminal contingent to be brought into the public eye, pointing out 250-300 criminal bosses plague society with some important underworld figures amongst them. Velchev promised that most of these top Bulgarian gangsters would be facing charges by the end of 2010

Over the last twelve months Bulgaria saw an unprecedented number of high-profile arrests, court trials and special police operations as the new government took steps to root out corruption and organized crime that have affected the country for years.

Bulgarian cabinet and police received much praise from US and EU partners for the will and the efforts to combat corruption and crime and carry out the judicial reform.

Court Victories

Harsh Sentences in Notorious "Borilski" Case

In February, a Bulgarian court sentenced Georgi Zhelyazkov and Stoyan Stoichkov to 19 and 17 years in prison, respectively, for the savage murder of Bulgarian Sorbonne student Martin Borilski in Paris in 2000.

The Veliko Turnovo Court of Appeals turned down the prosecutors' request that the two should be given life sentences and ordered that they are arrested immediately.

Zhelyazkov and Stoichkov, who did not attend the court hearing, were also ordered by the court to pay Borilski's mother BGN 120 000.

In the summer of 2000, French firefighters discovered the brutally murdered Martin Borilski in his apartment in Paris. His body was tied down with a sweater, and his skull was broken with a dumbbell. There were 93 stabbing wounds on his corpse.

The alleged killers, Georgi Zheliazkov and Stoyan Stoichkov, were acquitted by the first two Bulgarian instances - the Shumen District Court and the Veliko Turnovo Appellate Court.

Amidst the pressure of protest rallies and stark remarks on the part of then French Ambassador to Bulgaria, Etienne de Poncins, in the beginning of March 2009, Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassations returned the "Borilski" murder case to the Appellate Court in the city of Veliko Tarnovo for retrial.

In March, the lawyer for the Borilski family told the magistrates the French authorities have done their probe perfectly and there is irrefutable evidence of the defendants' guilt. They were countered by Zheliazkov's and Stoichkov's lawyer, Ina Lulcheva, who defined the French investigation as sloppy. She said there wasn't any proof her clients committed the crime.

The French forensic team found, among other evidence, DNA linked to the two suspects, but Lulcheva pointed out the fact her clients were in Borilski's apartment does not make them killers.

Zheliazkov and Stoichkov arrived in Paris that summer broke and began harassing Bulgarians living there for funds. They asked about Borilski's whereabouts numerous times, as the French phone company records show, the lawyer for the Borilski family explained, adding the defendants killed the student because he refused to give them money.

The two disappeared after the trial prompting the police in the Black Sea city of Varna to issue a State-wide arrest warrant for both.

In mid-February Georgi Zhelyazkov and Stoyan Stoichkov turned themselves in to court security officers.

At the end of August, Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassations has confirmed the sentences of the two young men.

Prosecution Triumph in High-profile SAPARD Case

On March 29, Mario Nikolov was sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined BGN 30 000 over document fraud and abuse of SAPARD funds.

Mario Nikolov and Lyudmil Stoykov were charged with large-scale SAPARD fraud. Stoykov however was found not guilty and was set free by the Sofia City Court.

Mario's wife Mariana received an 8-year prison sentence. The other 4 defendants were handed out 6 year jail sentences and fines of BGN 30 000.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants created a secret association through which they sent millions from SAPARD to other companies controlled by Nikolov and Stoykov.

Nikolov and Stoykov, who were both sponsors of President Parvanov's campaign at the last Bulgarian Presidential Elections, faced charges relating to the alleged defrauding of SAPARD European agricultural funds to the tune of EUR 7.5 M.

The legal process was provoked by revelations of the European Anti-fraud Office OLAF, according to which a group of 60 Bulgarian, foreign and offshore organizations, linked with the previous government, led by Socialist Sergey Stanishev, had participated in tax fraud and money laundering.

Meanwhile, on the very next day, the Sofia City Court tried the other high-profile case against Mario Nikolov and several defendants for draining SAPARD funds.

Nikolov's wife was also charged in the second case where the Prosecutor accused the defendants of having acted as an organized crime group and illegally, through fake documents, obtained EUR 14 M subsidies from SAPARD.

According to the prosecutors, the group stole the amount through document fraud in the period 2002-2005. The defendants were alleged to have used old meat processing equipment to present it as new in order to get subsidies for a meat processing plant.

The second trial was postponed several times and became known as the first case where amendments of the Penal Code, concerning the State appointing attorneys when those hired by the defendants are absent, were applied.

On June 10, the Sofia City Court appointed State lawyers for all defendants, after Nikolov's attorney's failure to appear, citing involvement in another case. The judge fined the lawyer BGN 500.

On June 30, Mario Nikolov was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Sofia City Court.

Two defendants were acquitted; one got a 3-year sentence. Nikolov's wife Mariyana was sentenced to 14 years of jail time. All of the other defendants were pronounced guilty with 10-year sentences.

Nikolov claimed that he was a "scapegoat" for the malfunctioning judicial system in Bulgaria. He is appealing the sentences. If both verdicts stand, Nikolov is to serve the longer, 12-year sentence.

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev applauded the Sofia City Court for doing a "brilliant job" on the SAPARD case.

High Profile Murder Plots

Controversial Journalist Execution-style Murder Rattles Sofia

2010 started with a reminiscence of Bulgaria's wave of gangland murders, which many thought belonged to the past.

Controversial journalist, radio and TV host, Bobi Tsankov, was gunned down on January 5th, in broad daylight in the heart of Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

30-year-old Tsankov and two other men were shot in the vicinity of the St. Nedelya church – in a building entrance on Alexander Stamboliyski Blvd. Tsankov died on the spot. The two men, allegedly his bodyguards, were wounded and taken to the hospital, where they were found in stable condition.

Bulgarian media informed Tsankov died on his way to the office of a prominent attorney - Lachezar Takov, known as the lawyer of alleged top criminal, Zlatomir Ivanov aka Baretata (The Barret), who is linked to organized crime and murders for hire. Takov, allegedly, made Tsankov take the witness stand in Baretata's trial. During the trial, the journalist told the magistrates Baretata was an honest businessman.

The authorities declined confirming the above alleged connections.

Reports say at the time of his death, Tsankov was about to follow the in the steps of Bulgarian mafia stories writer Georgi Stoev and make important revelations about organized crime in the country. Stoev was also shot dead in Sofia in April 2008.

Before January 5th, Tsankov had already been the target of several attacks. In November 2003, a bomb went off in front of his parents' apartment. No one was injured.

In 2004, Tsankov was slightly hurt in an evident attempt on his life when another hand-made bomb exploded in front of his home.

In November 2009, Bulgarian police arrested drugs kingpin "Jacket" (Sako) in Sofia after he chased Tsankov through the streets of the capital in his car. 'Jacket' is also reported to have made previous threats against the writer's life in an attempt to silence him about mafia secrets. Tsankov was the one to call the police.

Tsankov, however, had his own criminal past with 11 suspended sentences for fraud and one for misappropriation. In 2006 he was even arrested briefly on fraud charges. His scams involved radio show games organized by the journalist where he promised prizes and bonuses which never materialized. Nearly 100 complaints against him had been filed with the Business Police by citizens. Tsankov was also allegedly linked to the attempted murder a businesswoman who brought a lawsuit against him.

Speculations about the motive behind the murder revolve around Tsankov's alleged mafia ties; his revelations of mafia secrets, drug market redistribution and his tip-offs to the police.

In the search for the people behind the murder plot Bulgaria's Interior Ministry special task teams raided the building of the insurance company "Bul Ins" where the offices of Krasimir and Nikolay Marinov aka "the Marguins," considered two of the most influential underworld figures, are located.

Krasimir the Big Marguin was arrested. Nikolay Marinov aka the Little Marguin was found that night, but released over the lack of an arrest warrant. Despite State and European-wide search warrants issued later, his whereabouts are still unknown."Sako" was also detained.

Bulgaria's Prosecutor's Office charged Krasimir Marinov with ordering Tsankov's murder while Sako was released without charges only to be rearrested several days later on accusations he is part of the Big Marguin's criminal group. Krasimir Marinov was further charged with leading an organized crime group and drug dealing.

The prosecution said the Little Marguin, was also part of the plot. The motive behind the murder was stopping Tsankov from bringing in an important witness in the case where the Marguins are tried for other alleged murder plots.

Both Marinov and Sako have denied allegations they may be behind the murder.

On January 14, the Sofia Appellate Court released Krasimir Marinov aka the Big Marguin on his own recognizance. The magistrates decided that there isn't enough evidence Marinov had ordered Tsankov's murder and witness testimony was not sufficient to warrant keeping him behind bars.

The case remains unsolved and the physical perpetrator of the murder – unknown.

Murky Samokov Businessman Gunned Down

Yuriy Galev, the controversial president of Rilski Sportist football club and municipal councilor in the town of Samokov, was brutally shot June 20, and passed away at Sofia's Pirogov emergency hospital 10 days after the attack.

Galev was admitted to the hospital in critical condition with five gunshot wounds in the stomach and limbs and had two surgeries performed on him. He later suffered a mass heart attack.

At the time of his death, Yuriy Galev was president of the Rilski Sportist football club, and municipal councilor in Samokov from the nationalist party Ataka.

The victim was notorious for a number of criminal acts. The latest happened in February, 2010, when Galev and several of his associates beat two ski lift guards in the Borovets mountain resort near Samokov after the latter refused to let his son ride the lift for free. In the wake of the incident, police arrested four of Galev's men for arson of an office of the Borosport firm, which operates the ski lift.

In 1995, Galev was arrested after randomly shooting inside the Rila hotel in Borovets. The same year he took part in a shooting in nearby village of Beli Iskar and in a mass fight at a disco in the town of Montana. Similar acts were committed in 1996 and 1999. Galev has been detained by the police on various charges, but later released.

In February 2009, Galev survived unharmed a similar attempt on his life.

Top Special Police Operations

Operation "Impudent" – the Sequel

In the beginning of January, the testimony of the leader of a high profiled kidnappers' gang, which was busted at the end of last year, led to the discovery of two dead bodies near the capital Sofia.

The police announced they found the body of Yulian Lefterov aka the Kung Fu, a car thief who went missing in January 2009. Lefterov, a member of the former Bulgarian mafia group SIC, was allegedly kidnapped by the gang. Shortly after that one more dead body, supposed to be of another kidnapped criminal - Ivan Petrov aka Sapata, was also discovered.

It was reported Ivaylo Evtimov, aka Yozhi, known as one of the leaders of "The Impudent" gang, had sealed an agreement with the prosecutors, trading his testimony for lighter charges.

The high-profile kidnappers' gang is believed to be responsible for 19 cases of kidnappings of rich Bulgarians. The "Impudent" and "Impudent 2" operations in December 2009 led to the initial arrest of a total of 30 people.

Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov announced in January 2010 that "The Impudent-3" is underway to target acting and former policemen who are suspected of aiding the kidnap gang, In mid-January.

In February, an employee of the Interior, an inspector for operational services of detention centers was arrested. The man, allegedly, used his job to secure alleviated conditions for the kidnappers and other inmates during their jail time. He was fired in March.

At the end of January, the Sofia Court of Appeal ruled the release of Anton Petrov aka the Hamster on bail, overturning a previous decision of the Sofia City Court to keep him behind bars. The Hamster became the first of the alleged kidnap gang ringleaders to be released over insufficient evidence.

Anton Petrov is known for his close relationship with former adviser to the State Agency for National Security (DANS), Aleksei Petrov, who was subsequently arrested in February, during the special police operation codenamed "Octopus.".

On May 24, police arrested Valentin Yanev aka Valyo Boretsa ("The Wrestler"), believed to be the mastermind of the "Impudent" gang. The Wrestler is also suspected of having a connection with the so-called Octopus organized crime group. In addition to the kidnappings Yanev is thought to be responsible for several murders.

On June 8, the Sofia Appellate Court released on bail Tsvetozar Slavchev aka Tsuro again over lack of evidence. Tsuro became the second gang member to walk out after Anton Petrov.

At the end of August, the Sofia Court of Appeals left in jail Daniel Dimitrov aka Releto (The Relay), another alleged member of the "Impudent" gang since evidence showed his direct connection to several high-profile kidnappings.

At the end of September, the Sofia City Court ruled to return "The Impudent" case back to the Prosecutor over procedural violations.

On September 8, Bulgaria's Prosecutor's Office pressed official charges against nine of the individuals arrested during the December 2009 "Impudent" special police operation.

Ivaylo Evtimov and Prokopi Prokopiev were charged with racket and with organizing a kidnap gang. Daniel Dimitrov, Lyubomir Dimitrov, brothers Radoslav and Mitko Lebeshevski, Pavel Petkov, Kiril Kirilov, and Tsvetozar Slavchev, were all charged as accessory to the abductions.

At the end of November, the much awaited trial against the nine 9 was postponed because Prokopiev had not received a copy of the indictment.

The trial was moved to December 22. On that day, after two-hours of debates if the case must be returned to the prosecutor for additional investigations and who is supposed to take part in trial, the judge gave it a go ahead. The victims submitted claims for damages in the amount of BGN 3.2 M and requested from the gang to refund them the ransom money, but the magistrates rejected the claims.

The trial is to continue in 2011.

The latest high-profile abduction in Bulgaria was the kidnapping of 22-year-old student Rumen Guninski Jr, son of businessman Rumen Guninski Sr, who spent 40 days in captivity. Various reports put the ransom paid for his release in November at EUR 300 000 to EUR 1 M.

Businessman Kiro Kirov was kidnapped in the spring of 2009 and released for a ransom of EUR 620 000. The highest-profile abduction in 2008 was the one of Angel Bonchev, former President of the Litex Football Club, and then of his wife Aneliya. Businessman Vene Sotirov was abducted in the spring of 2009 and is still missing.

Operation "The Untouchables"

In mid-April, police arrested 16 people in a raid against organized crime codenamed "The Untouchables," targeting suspect members of a group for money laundering and tax crimes.

On the curious side, Bulgaria's 2009 Eurovision song contest representative Krasimir Avramov was arrested by mistake during the operation. Police raided his home, forced him to lie on the ground, handcuffed him and covered his head. After realizing the mistake they apologized to the singer and left.

On the next day, 5 of the 16 people were charged with money laundering; 3 of them, who had long criminal records, were left in the arrest for 72 hours; two were released on bail. The other 11 people were freed as the investigators did not find enough evidence to press charges.

Four days later, only one of the alleged gangsters arrested in "The Untouchables" operation, 26-year-old Zlelyaz Ivanov, remained behind bars.

The suspects are believed to have been linked to energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki, who is investigated on tax evasion charges.

After misfiring several times, the Sofia City Court finally gave, at the end of January, the go-ahead of the trial against Kovachki.

Kovachki was charged with evading taxes of BGN 16 M on August 17, 2009. According to the Deputy Sofia Prosecutor, Bozhidar Dzhambazov, four of Kovachki's firms sold assets to one another, and the state refunded the VAT they paid as part of the deals.

Kovachki owns the Thermal Plants "Maritsa-Iztok 3" in Dimitrovgrad and "Bobov Dol", several mines, as well as the heating utilities in Vratsa, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo and Pleven, the grocery chain "Evropa" and the "Atomenergoremont" company.

Believed to be one of the richest men in the Balkans, Kovachki has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to comment reports of links to the "The Untouchables"

If found guilty, Kovachki may receive between 3 and 8 years in jail.

Operation "Killers"

On July 23, Bulgaria's police arrested about 20 men in what has been dubbed special operation "Killers" by Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The operation was carried out by the police, DANS, and the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office in connection with the murder of the controversial Samokov football club president Yuriy Galev The President of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation Petar Stoyanov aka the "Chieftain" was among those detained.

Petar Stoyanov is a leading figure in the Bulgarian sumo world. He has a silver and two bronze world medals in amateur sumo. The "Chieftain" is also a close friend to Bulgaria's best sumo wrestler Kotooshu.

After the arrest, President Parvanov's administration came out with an official statement refuting media allegations that Stoyanov is or has ever been an adviser to the President, but the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science, Children, Youth and Sports, confirmed that Stoyanov was an adjunct advisor for them.

The "Chieftain" has denied any connection to organized crime.

Tsvetanov announced a known criminal, Yanko Popov aka Tutsi, had ordered the murder of Yuriy Galev while the President of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation was one of the organizers Galev's murder. The other person ordering the murder was identified by the Minister as Vasil Kostov aka Vasko Ketsa (The Sneaker), who had also organized the murder of Shumen businessman Rumen Rashev.

Another known criminal, Metodi Ivanov, had been the keeper of the gun with which Galev was murdered. The actual shooter was identified as Georgi Petkov aka Damchi.

Part of the group members are also connected to some other high-profile mafia killings in the recent past, Tsvetanov said, but did not offer more details.

In July, the 24 Chasa (24 Hours) daily published an article informing the "Killers" received an order for Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's assassination about 6-7 months ago, citing sources from the investigation. The Interior Minister declined commenting.

Tsvetanov, however, has hinted the "Killers" may be behind the slaying of Bulgaria's top banker Emil Kyulev. Emil Kyulev, one of the richest men in Bulgaria, was shot and killed in 2005. His murder was particularly shocking because he did not fit the profile of an underworld boss.

On July 26, the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office filed charges for Galev's murder against the "Chieftain," Tutsi, Ketsa, Damchi and Metodi Ivanov. On the next day, the Sofia District Court decided the five men must be kept under arrest.

About a week later, the Bulgarian Court of Appeals ruled to release on bail four out of the five over lack of evidence that they were connected to Galev's murder. Ivanov was the only one to remain in jail.

All four were later rearrested in connection to other cases.

The "Chieftain" remains behind bars in the jail in the city of Shumen. He is investigated for several murders, including Galev's.

In mid-December, the sumo wrestler was acquitted by the Sofia District Court on counts of illegal arms possession and hiding stolen property. The magistrates ruled the weapon found in the vehicle driven by Stoyanov was planted by the police.

As recently as December 27, Petar Stoyanov suffered another failed attempt to leave jail. He asked once again to be released over ailing health, but the judge ordered the detainee to follow strictly his prescribed treatment while behind bars, saying it would solve the problem.

Major Court Setbacks

Highway "Crocodile" Robber Acquitted by Court

On May 25, Evgeni Milev aka Geyzo, known as member of the "Crocodile" highway robbery gang was also acquitted on charges of forging passport seals.

Brothers Emil and Evgeni Milevi have a long running record of robberies. In 2003, they were accused 2004 of stopping a van on the Bulgarian 'Hemus' highway, pretending to be policemen, and robbing all four people inside it of their mobile phones and personal belongings. In 2007, the Sofia Regional Court acquitted the two brothers.

In December 2008, the District Court found Emil Milev - Croci, Evgeni Milev - Geyzo and an accomplice guilty of a yet another highway robbery, committed in June, 2004. The court sentenced the men to 12 years in prison. However, on October 2009, the Sofia Court of Appeals acquitted the defendants.

The names of the two brothers Milevi came to the forefront again in December 2009, when police thwarted the robbery of a Turkish national on the Trakiya highway near Vakarel. In the subsequent shootout, one man that the police claimed to be an accomplice of the Crocodiles, was killed.

On this count, Geyzo was accused of attempting to cross the border from Serbia into Bulgaria at the Kalotina border point on December 19, 2009, with forged seals in his passport showing that he had not been in Bulgaria at the time of the "Trakiya" highway robbery.

According to the Court ruling, passport seals in themselves are not official documents and there is no conclusive evidence that Milev's passport was forged.

Milev was arrested at Kalotina, claiming he was returning from a trip to Germany where he was during the time of the robbery. The police, however, believe that he forged the seals in his passport and never left the country.

Evgeni Milev's brother Emil is wanted from the Police and his exact location is still unknown.

The two brothers are facing a trial over the highway robbery they allegedly committed in December 2009. However, Evgeni Milev, was released on bail by the District Court in the town of Slivnitsa on May 17, 2010, as judge Georgi Nikolov decided Geyzo would not hide or commit another crime.

Bulgarian Court Acquits Alleged Top Mafia Bosses

On June 14, 2010, the Sofia City Court issued a non-guilty verdict for Krasimir and Nikolay Marinovi aka The Marguin Brothers.

The Court also changed Krasimir Marinov's bail to recognizance and lifted the European search warrant for Nikolay Marinov, who disappeared right after the January murder of controversial radio host, Bobi Tsankov.

The previous week, the prosecutor asked for a record-high verdict – 22 years behind bars for all 6 defendants, who are charged with plotting 3 murders.

Krasimir Marinov aka the Big Marguin pleaded not guilty while Nikolay Marinov, the Little Marguin, was tried in his absence.

The Marguin brothers are reputed to be some of the biggest mafia bosses in Bulgaria. They are also publicly known as being among the leaders of the SIC corporation - allegedly one of Bulgaria's two powerful mafia structures in the 1990s.

The SIC group appeared in the mid-90s as the rival of the first large-scale mafia structure in Bulgaria after 1989, called VIS. In the late-90s and the first years after 2000, VIS and SIC were oftentimes at war, and many of the gangland killings in Bulgaria are attributed to this conflict. After 2000, the two major mafia groups in Bulgaria are believed to have been transformed into other smaller-scale entities and legal businesses.

The Marguin Brothers were charged with organizing a criminal group and plotting the murders of Nikola Damyanov, and Ivan Todorov, aka The Doctor (a large-scale mafia boss specialized at international cigarettes contraband), and of General Lyuben Gotsev (who survived the attempt on his life).

The case has been dragging on for nearly five years already and has been postponed on several occasions over the ailing health of one of the defendants.

Over the course of the trial, the magistrates heart numerous testimonies, including of two of the three alleged victims, but of the entire line of witnesses only one talked about some possible connection between the brothers and the murder plots.

After the verdict, the Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, and his Deputy, Roman Vassilev, said they will appeal.

Bulgaria's Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, blamed once again the judicial system for the acquittal of alleged crime bosses.

At the end of July, the Court released its motives for the June 2010 acquittal of the two notorious brothers. They all revolved over the lack of solid evidence.

On December 17, the Sofia Court of Appeals launched the appeal trial against the notorious brothers.

"Jellyfish" Alleged Mastermind Walks on Bail

On July 26, The Chair of Varna's municipal council, Borislav Gutsanov, was released on bail after being placed on house arrest.

Gutsanov was arrested on March 3 in a special police operation codenamed "Jellyfish," carried out in Bulgaria's Black Sea capital.

The Interior Ministry reported that the "Jellyfish" operation was targeting economic crimes involving Varna's transport and municipal budgets.

Gutsanov, a member of the Executive Board of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, was arrested alongside the Director of the Varna municipality "Automobile Transport" department, Pencho Penchev and Yana Krusteva, the department's Chief Accountant.

Businessman Daniel Slavov aka Dido Dunkata, suspected of organizing contraband cigarette channels in the Varna area, was also taken into custody in connection with the case, after being detained in his own Hotel "Capitol."

The detainees have allegedly abused taxpayers' money through deals to purchase second-hand buses. The second-hand buses from France and Germany were purchased from 2003-2007 and are believed to have cost a total of EUR 2 M. The amount budgeted in the municipal council for the purchase far exceeded the actual amount paid to companies in France and Germany.

Meanwhile, Gutsanov's children were reported to be in shock after armed police raided their family home at 06:30 am. Police explained their actions with Gutsanov resisting arrest. In May, Gutsanov and his wife announced they will sue Bulgaria in the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg over police brutality.

Gutsanov stayed in jail until April 9 when he was listed in the city's "St. Anna" hospital with a serious case of pneumonia. On April 13, the Varna Appellate Court decided he is to remain in jail and 10 days later he was moved to the prison hospital in Sofia.

Meanwhile, municipal councilors from the Bulgarian Socialist party submitted an appeal against the ousting of their Chair.

Towards the end of May, Gutsanov was released from the prison hospital and allowed to get in-house treatment. The ruling was delivered by Varna Appellate Court. Just days after that, the Varna Regional Court released Dunkata on a record-high bail of BGN 200 000.

At the end of July, Gutsanov's measure was changed from house arrest to a BGN 10 000 bail.

He insists the trial against him is political.

Bulgaria's 'Octopus' Walks Free on Appeal

On October 12, Bulgarian authorities lost, by most accounts, their most important criminal battle of 2010 when the Sofia Court of Appeals released from jail controversial businessman, Aleksei Petrov, who was arrested in February in a special police operation codenamed Octopus.

Petrov spent almost nine months behind bars before being placed under house arrest.

The magistrates reaffirmed the rule of the lower instance - the Sofia City Court that the organized group codenamed "Octopus" with Petrov as its alleged ringleader and 8 members never existed – a rule to which the Prosecutor in the case conceded earlier.

The Court stated there was an organized group of only three people including Aleksei Petrov and two other people tried as accessories – Marchelo Dzholotov and Anton Petrov.

The magistrates further ruled there was no evidence the former employee of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) was guilty of revealing classified information.

Aleksei Petrov was arrested along with 13 other people on February 10 in Operation Octopus, which was brought about by a complaint of a Bulgarian businessman that he was the victim of racketeers.

According to the initial version of the prosecutors, in 1997 Petrov established an organized crime group and remained its ringleader until the arrest.

The defendants were charged with racket, prostitution, illegal drugs trade, draining of the now closed steel mill "Kremikovzi" and of the State budget, trading in influence, money laundering and tax evasion.

From the 14 individuals arrested back in February, only Petrov and Dzholotov remained in jail until October. The others were released on bail in mid-February.

After his arrest, Petrov made numerous attempts to be released. He has continuously claimed his detention had nothing to do with the alleged crimes and was politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Georgi Kolev, then Chair of the Sofia City Court (SCC), announced that according to records, Aleksei Petrov had never been a DANS secret agent. Petrov, who was an advisor of the former DANS Director, Petko Sertov, resigned from the Agency a month after the GERB cabinet took office.

In July, the Sofia City Court and the Sofia Court of Appeals classified the trial.

On August 1, an organization under the name "The Truth about Aleksei Petrov," was established in defense of the former DANS employee.

Also in August, Petrov's attorneys informed a number of charges have been dismissed, saying their client was facing a trial only on the counts of organizing a crime group dealing with racket and blackmail and on leaking classified information. The other charges were dropped.

The Prosecutor's Office first declined any comments, and then firmly rejected the claims of the attorneys saying Petrov was still charged as the ringleader of a large-scale crime group, but the case was divided in two separate ones.

In mid-September, the Sofia Appellate Court declared the division of the case violates the law and the Prosecutor's Office of Appeals ruled to unite the two files once again.

Upon Petrov's release under house arrest, Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, informed that the work of all prosecutors involved in the probe is under scrutiny.

Since coming out of jail detention, Aleksei Petrov has made a number of public appearances, amply taking advantage of the public notoriety he inadvertently acquired in the process. He has not been shy to admit his political ambitions and has gone as far as to say that he might run for President in 2011.

Petrov has been very active in the media and has emerged at the center of the Bulgarian political scene with various top officials such as the President, the Prime Minister and the Interior Minister, exchanging accusations that they are bound to him.

Ethnic Turkish Leader Cleared on Conflict of Interests Charges

On October 18, Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court exonerated Ahmed Dogan, leader of the opposition ethnic Turkish party, from conflict of interests.

Two of the three magistrates trying the case, ruled Dogan, who received huge consulting fees on hydro energy projects while his party was in power, was not in conflict of interests because his consulting contracts were signed before the passing of the law that provides for sanctions for such activities.

The ruling of the Supreme Administrative Court (VAS) further says that there is no evidence the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) as a Member of the Parliament, took part in a vote benefiting the company which paid the fee.

The third magistrate, however, signed the ruling with "particular judgment." She wrote that Dogan has committed conflict of interests because he received the major part of the fee after the passing of the bill that mandates him to declare such conflict.

The Court ordered the Parliament to refund legal expenses to Dogan. His defense attorney asked for BGN 48 000, but the magistrates fixed the amount at the symbolic BGN 150.

The leader of the ethnic Turkish party, which was a member of the former Three-Way Coalition cabinet, allegedly pocketed BGN 1.5 M as a consultant of four large-scale hydroelectricity projects, funded by the state – "Tsankov Kamak," "Dospat," "Gorna Arda" and "Tundzha" Dam.

The scandal erupted in May after a visit of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to the site of the hydroelectric power plant "Tsankov Kamak," where he revealed that a huge hike in the initial price has been discovered.

The money for the hydro power plant "Tsankov Kamak," from where Dogan took the sky-high payment as an "expert," was paid by the state-owned National Electricity Distribution Company (NEK), left in tatters after the ruling of the previous cabinet.

The trial was launched on a claim filed by the Parliamentary Anti-corruption Committee, which vowed to file an appeal.

At the start of proceedings at the Supreme Administrative Court on September 2 officials had to try Dogan in absentia.

The latest embezzlement allegations against Ahmed Dogan were widely considered to be a litmus test for the government's willingness to fulfill its election promises to bring to justice those involved in huge-scale corruption schemes.

Pair of Alleged Bulgarian Crime Bosses Walks Free

On November 4, the notorious pair of alleged mafia bosses from the town of Dupnitsa in southwestern Bulgaria was acquitted on charges of leading an organized crime group.

Plamen Galev and Angel Hristov, known as the Galevi brothers, were charged with extortion, racketeering and of leading a gang.

The two alleged mafia bosses are believed to hold the citizens of Dupnitsa on a leash, as their jobs and prosperity depend on the two burly former policemen with shady background and businesses.

The Galevi trial, launched in September last year, came in the wake of a large-scale and flashy raid by what appeared to be the state army, which rummaged offices, auto-houses and apartments in the capital Sofia, Pernik and Dupnitsa.

In mid-June last year, the Galevi brothers walked out of jail after both were allowed to run at the general elections and thus receiving immunity from prosecution. They failed to win seats in the 41st General Assembly, but were still free on bail.

In the aftermath of the rule, a journalist from a Bulgarian newspaper, who has exposed the criminal activities of the pair, told Novinite.com she feared for her life following their acquittal.

Major Set Back in Alleged Top Criminal Baretata Trial

The trial against alleged Bulgarian crime boss Zlatomir Ivanov, started all over again on November 22, after one of the jurors was charged with child pornography.

Petar Georgiev, a juror in the long-running trial against Ivanov aka Zlatko Baretata (The Barret), was detained on October 22, during a special police operation codenamed "Pedophiles."

According to Petar Gunchev, the judge in the case, there is no possibility to continue the trial as it is, since this would raise a serious controversy about the final verdict.

Thus, the entire trial against Ivanov started from scratch, with all witnesses being questioned all over again. 107 witnesses have been questioned so far along with 52 experts.

Zlatomir Ivanov, a heavily tattooed man in his late 30s, is charged with being the ringleader of an organized crime group dealing with illegal drug trafficking and with first-degree murder for the killing of Stefan Ivanov aka Alf, committed in a way that endangered the life of many people. The shooting happened in 2007 in a disco bar in the western city of Pernik.

20 other individuals face the same charges.

Baretata is believed to be one of the top, still living, Bulgarian underworld figures.

In October, the Sofia Court of Appeals released him under house arrest after he complained about stress and a urinary infection following surgery.

Officials in Trouble

Arrests for Agency for Bulgarians Abroad Secretary, Migration Department Head

The General Secretary of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, Stefan Nikolov, was arrested on March 1 and charged with abuse of power.

Nikolov, allegedly, had ordered his subordinates to accept applications for Bulgarian citizenship without the necessary documents and citizenship certificates have been granted illegally with applicants paying four- and five-figure cash sums for fake supporting documents.

The arrest follower the February detention of the Director of the Migration Department of the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, Stefan Hristov, on charges he was giving permanent Bulgarian residence status to people who were not entitled to it.

Ex Defense Minister Arrested for Offering Bribe

Former Defense Minister, Nikolay Tsonev, who was part of the previous, Socialist-led cabinet of the Three-Way Coalition from the quota of former Tsar Simeon Saxe-Coburg's party National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NMSP), was arrested on April 1, 2010, in a much advertised police operation that generated strong public controversy.

Sofia City Court judge, Petar Santirov, and financial consultant, Tencho Popov, were also arrested during the same operation.

Tsonev, Santirov and Popov were charged with bribing investigator, Petyo Petrov, to forge evidence that would lead to a positive outcome for Tsonev of an investigation against him. The amount of the bribe was reported to have been EUR 60 000.

On June 8, the Sofia's Appellate Court released Tsonev and Santirov on bail while their fellow defendant, Tencho Popov, was released in May.

Investigator Petyo Petrov was working on the case of a BGN 120 M contract that Tsonev signed with a private company while he was Minister in 2008-2009. The investigation of the deal was started at the end of 2009 and has not been taken to court yet.

Tsonev is also involved in two other legal battles as the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office filed new charges against him in May. They involve 4 deals signed during Tsonev's term as Head of the Defense Ministry's Social Agency for the supply of military aircraft equipment. If proven guilty before the court martial, he will face between 3 and 10 years behind bars.

In the other case, the ex-minister was tried for the purchase of an US assembly line for the construction of hangars, warehouses, army barracks, and for the supply and storage of food.

According to the Sofia City Prosecutor, Tsonev committed abuse of power as Defense Minister and concluded the deal with the goal to provide benefits for the company "MIC INDUSTRIES" and its representative, leading to material damage for the institution in the amount of nearly BGN 13 M. The non-material damage involves disturbing the schedule for army training.

The arrest of Nikolay Tsonev on April 1, which was filmed and broadcast by the Interior Ministry, spurred a public outrage of police brutality as masked police officers made him kneel to the ground while Deputy Sofia Prosecutor Roman Vasilev called him "a criminal". The Ethics Commission at Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) later sanctioned Vasilev, for his inappropriate behavior during the arrest.

The former Defense Minister is suing the Bulgarian state in Strasbourg, complaining of "humiliating treatment" by the police.

On November 17, Tsonev was acquitted by the Sofia City Court on charges he committed abuse of power over the public procurement tender involving the US assembly line.

The Prosecutor's Office, which asked for 4.5 years of jail time, announced it would appeal the court's rule.

Over the course of the trial, several employees of the Defense Ministry, including former Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army, General Zlatan Stoykov, took the witness stand, saying Tsonev has not committed violations.

The other case, where Tsonev is facing bribery charges continues. On November 24, special surveillance tapes were shown for the first time in an "open doors" court trial in Bulgaria.

During the session, the magistrates were able to examine only one of a total of four recordings – the first conversation between Santirov and Popov.

3 Ex Ministers Face Charges

On April 6, the Prosecutors Office announced that 3 former ministers of Bulgaria's previous cabinet of the Three-Way Coalition are going to be officially charged.

According to Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, the three are: the ex-Finance Minister, Plamen Oresharski, the ex-Regional Minister, Assen Gagauzov, and the ex-Environment Minister, Dzevdet Chakarov.

The claim had been submitted personally by Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov. They will be charged with violating the State Budget Act and concluding unfavorable contracts in the amount of over BGN 2 B.

Prosecution Relentless in Sliven Mayor Probe

In mid-April, Prosecutors in Sliven demanded that former Bulgarian football star and Mayor of the city Yordan Lechkov be kicked out of office over alleged abuse of power.

The news came just a day after the Prosecutor's Office in Sliven raised charges against the Mayor and 1994 World Cup hero.

According to the Sliven District Prosecutor, one of the charges involved the sale of the flea market in the City without taking into account the decision of the municipal council. Other charges include the allegation Lechkov put pressure on the local National Revenues Agency office to cover up tax audits of certain local companies.

Lechkov, who was a key member of the Bulgaria squad that finished fourth at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, and is currently Vice President of Bulgaria's Football Federation, has repeatedly said that the charges aim his removal from office and made it clear he has no intention to resign over alleged abuse of power.

On April 21, the Sliven District Court in removed Yordan Lechkov from the post of city's mayor.

Lechkov announced he will appeal the decision at the Burgas Court of Appeal. At the end of June, the Court of Appeals ruled that the ousted Mayor be back in office.

Lechkov has stayed in the spotlight recently, with Sliven citizens organizing a petition for his removal over alleged corrupt practices and a run in with the traffic police in Sofia in March leading to pre-trial proceedings being started by the authorities. Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, a close friend of Lechkov until recently, also unexpectedly welcomed the trial against him, making prosecutors even more determined.

The traffic offense charges against Lechkov for disobeying and insulting a police patrol were dismissed in July because the technical expertise of the videotape did not revealed any conclusive evidence for the accusations of the traffic police.

Also in July, the probe against Lechkov, received a 6-month extension.

It was announced just days ago that the case filed against the Sliven Mayor has been transferred to the Supreme Court of Cassations (VKS) because all judges in the city have withdrawn from the case upon being randomly selected.

VKS now must assign the case to another court.

On December 2, the Sliven Regional Prosecutor's Office charged Lechkov on a new count - trading in influence and fraud.

Yambol Mayor Sentenced for Abuse of Power

On October 12, the Mayor of Bulgaria's southern city of Yambol, Georgi Slavov, was sentenced to five years behind bars by the Yambol Regional Court and was banned from holding high-ranking posts in the next six years.

The Mayor is charged with abuse of power related to a public procurement procedure.

On December 12, the Yambol Regional Prosecutor's Office in the southern Bulgaria city of Yambol pressed new charge against Slavov, related to violations in a different public procurement procedure.

Current Finance Minister, Former PM Probed for Classified Information Leaks

On October 14, Bulgaria's prosecutors interrogated current Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, who is expected to be charged with leaking classified information, according to local media reports.

The signal against Djankov was filed in February by the opposition Socialists, who accused him of disclosing a secret agreement between his predecessor, Plamen Oresharski and the governor of the Bulgarian Central Bank, BNB, Ivan Iskrov, to deposit part of the fiscal reserve in private banks.

Djankov made the revelation in October 2009 during a parliamentary control session to back his own proposal for a similar move.

Finance Minister Simeon Djankov is the second high-ranking Bulgarian politician to face charges over a leak of classified information.

In mid-July Sergey Stanishev, Bulgaria's former Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Socialist Party, was formally charged over the leak of a classified reports.

The former PM is accused of mishandling classified information over the disappearance of seven documents from the Council of Ministers while he was in office. These are three documents from the State Agency for National Security (DANS), two from the Interior Ministry, one from the Defense Ministry and one from NATO.

Stanishev claims he properly returned the report to DANS, as required by law. He also relinquished his immunity as a MP, in order to facilitate the proceedings. The harshest penalty he faces is a fine.

Ex Social Minister Charged with Embezzlement

On November 13, the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office submitted with the Court official charges against Emiliya Maslarova, former Socialist Minister of Labor and Social Policy in the previous Three-Way Coalition cabinet.

Maslarova is charged with large-scale embezzlement for depriving the State treasury of BGN 11 M.

The sum was destined for renovation works of a social home in the southern city of Stara Zagora. In order to misappropriate the funds, after payments were made to the building contractor, the money has been diverted by fake invoices and cooking of the accounting books.

Other defendants in the case include Maslarova's Deputy, her Chief Secretary and a family friend.

In connection with upcoming trial, measures to restrict and freeze the defendants' assets have been undertaken.

The charges first emerged in February 2010, four months after Maslarova voluntarily gave up her immunity from prosecution. At the time, the former minister was released on a BGN 50 000 bail, which was later reduced by the Sofia City Court to BGN 5 000

Ex Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Reemerges as Likely Killer

Following the arrest of Aleksei Petrov, the somewhat forgotten name of Bulgaria's controversial and erratic former Chief Prosecutor, Nikola Filchev, started popping up again.

In mid-November, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, reiterated Filchev has masterminded the mysterious murders of a lawyer and a prosecutor back in 2000 and 2003 with Petrov's help.

Lawyer Nadezhda Georgieva was killed in her home in Sofia in February 2008, suffering nine blows from a kitchen cleaver. Witnesses claim the lawyer was handed USD 150 000 to give to Filchev as a bribe to make him stop an investigation. After Georgieva failed to deliver the cash, he killed her in a bout of psychopathic rage.

Kolev was a high-ranking prosecutor, who in 2001 was dismissed from his post by Filchev, a move he appealed and won. Kolev publicly stated his opinion that the Chief Public Prosecutor suffered from a psychiatric disorder, committed unlawful acts and ordered criminal proceedings on fabricated charges. He also said he expected to be arrested on charges of illegal possession of drugs which would be planted on him and that he feared for his life. In December 2003, he was shot dead in front of his home. The investigation was suspended repeatedly for failure to identify the perpetrator.

Kolev's wife continues to insist Petrov and Filchev plotted the murder of her husband. The widow has won a case against Bulgaria in the human rights court in Strasbourg which ruled that Kolev's murder had not been investigated properly by the Bulgarian authorities and ordered its reopening.

Meanwhile, the Sofia City Court ruled to call controversial businessman, Aleksei Petrov, who was released under house arrest after spending 9 months in jail, to testify in the 10-year-old murder of the Yambol lawyer, over the fact she has worked since October 1999 until her death at the swimming complex "Spartak" in Sofia, owned then by Petrov.

US Embassy Revokes Bulgarian Ex Top Cop Visa

On November 24, former Bulgarian Interior Minister from the previous, Socialist-led cabinet, Rumen Petkov, gave up his parliamentary immunity so that he could be investigated. The move came on the heels of media publications the US Embassy in Sofia has revoked Petkov's visa.

Petkov claims this was done in order to distract the attention from the real problems in the country.

The US Embassy in Sofia confirmed the annulment of Petkov's non-immigrant visa, based on information about a criminal investigation against him, but did not reveal any details.

Bulgaria's PM Boyko Borisov said he was unpleasantly surprised about the news for Petkov's visa annulment.

Court Rules

Jail Sentences in Daily Train Fire Case

At the beginning of May, two defendants were found guilty and one cleared of causing the hellish train fire in February 2008, which killed nine people.

The District Court in the northern city of Pleven sentenced the ticket collector of the ill-fated wagon to twelve years in jail. The train chief was sentenced to eight years behind the bars. They are to also pay BGN 100 00 0 each in damages. The Deputy Head of the Passengers' Travels Directorate was found not guilty.

The defendants were all charged with reckless manslaughter.

Nine people were charred to death and nine more injured after two cars of the night train going from Sofia to the northeastern town of Kardam burst into flames minutes after midnight on February 29, 2008.

"Toploto's" Wife Cleared on Fraud Charges

Stanislava Dimimitrova, the wife of sentenced Sofia heating utility head, Valentin Dimitrov, was arrested on July 28 and charged with large-scale fraud and blackmail.

The initial tip-off was sent by a businesswoman, whom the suspect, allegedly, pressed to pay BGN 30 000 so that the contract between her company and the Sofia heating utility "Toplofikatsiya" is not suspended. Stanislava Dimitrova and two men were detained as they were handed BGN 10 000 as first installment.

Testimony, however, contradicted the allegations and the charges. On August 6, he Sofia City Court ruled to release Dimitrova. The magistrates said they failed to see even a single proof for the charges and the prosecution had acted erratically in pressing charges. The rule is final and cannot be appealed.

Life Sentence in Brutal Varna Murder

On July 19, the Court of Appeals in Bulgaria's Black Sea capital Varna confirmed the life sentence for the defendant Georgi Tsvetanov, convicted of murdering a 21-year-old female college student.

The magistrates did, however, reject the girl's parents' and the prosecution's appeal to change the sentence of the Varna District Court to life without parole.

In February 2010, the Varna District Court acquitted the 22-year-old Tsvetanov on rape charges, but convicted him for "brutal murder" and, in addition to life behind bars, sentenced him to pay BGN 200 000 to the girl's parents.

The mutilated body of the third-year student from Varna's Business University, Radostina Eftimova, was discovered by her sister on March 7, 2009, with over 50 knife wounds. The murder sent shock waves across the country and triggered mass student protests.

Despite mounting evidence, Georgi Tsvetanov, refused to collaborate with the authorities, and continues to deny any involvement in the murder.

Georgi is the son of a prominent Varna politician, Tsanko Tsvetanov, Deputy Chair of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and Chair of the UDF branch in the Bulgarian Black Sea capital Varna, who was forced to resign over the murder scandal.

Court Fines Tragic Ohrid Trip Organizer

On July 22, the District Court in the southern town of Dimitrovgrad ruled that Boryana Georgieva, the organizer in the tragic trip to Lake Ohrid in Macedonia, was guilty of not having the required registration as a tour operator.

The judge imposed Thursday a fine of BGN 4 500 on Georgieva and banned her from any business activities for 2 years.

Georgieva stated she does not feel guilty and will appeal.

15 Bulgarians died on September 5, 2009 when the tour boat "Ilinden" capsized in the Ohrid Lake.

Charges in Deadly Orphanage Fire Dismissed by Judge

At the beginning of August, the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Bulgaria's southern city of Kardzhali dismissed the case against four individuals over a December 2009 explosion at an orphanage in the town of Krumovgrad, which resulted in the dead of 3 children.

The four people, who were facing charges, were the Principal of the orpahanage, two of the children's supervisors and Hamdi Ali, the heating attendant at the home. Ali later committed suicide by hanging himself inside the family house.

Ali was accused of having given the children what he and they thought was a loudspeaker, which turned to be a mine explosive. A fifth individual, a former army serviceman, is being probed further because for a long time he took out from the Krumovgrad barracks military property and kept it at Ali's house.

Romepetrol CEO Released on Bail after Brawl with Police

On August 3, the Veliko Tarnovo Regional Court freed on bail the CEO of Rompetrol Bulgaria, Sorin-Octavian Nichita, and his Romanian companion, an employee of the Romanian national telecom.

The Romanian citizens were arrested in Arbanassi near Veliko Tarnovo at the end of July, when they entered in a brawl with police and security guarding the Speaker of Bulgarian Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva. The incident began after the two were denied entry into the restaurant where she dined with other official guests.

The Romanians were charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with the work of police officers.

Representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Sofia were present during the court session. Both sides reiterated their widely diverging versions of the incident, with each of the parties accusing the other of gravely improper conduct.

Roma Leader Indicted for Blackmail

At the end of August, Tsvetelin Kanchev, leader of the Euroroma party and a former member of parliament, was indicted in Sofia City Court on allegations of blackmail.

The Euroroma leader was arrested at the beginning of December 2009, on charges of blackmailing the former Head of Civil Defense, Nikolay Nikolov, asking for money and threatening to publish incriminating documents if he did not comply.

At the beginning of April Sofia Appellate Court released the Roma leader on bail.

Road Agency Trial Drags on

In September, the Sofia City Court postponed once again the trial against the former head of the state-owned National Road Infrastructure Fund because the magistrates are awaiting the required documentation about correspondence between the government and the European Commission from January to July 2008

Vesselin Georgiev is charged with awarding contracts worth tens of BGN millions to companies run by two of his brothers.

The trial has been repeatedly postponed after either the defendant or witnesses failed to appear at the court room.

The controversy led to the freezing of the EUR 723 M earmarked to improve Bulgaria's dilapidated roads. Georgiev resigned from his post under pressure from the media.

On September 17, Emil Georgiev, brother of Veselin Georgiev, was found guilty of covering up conflict of interests in public procurement deals by hiding the fact that he was related to the former Road Agency head. He was sentenced to a BGN 2 500 fine.

Maybach Tank Thieves Receive Jail Time

On October 6, a German national, Thomas Gmainer, 36, and a Bulgarian army officer, Aleksei Petrov, were sentenced by the Sliven Military Court to 4 years in jail for stealing a vintage World War II tank. They were arrested while attempting to thieve another Maybach tank.

The other defendant, 67-year old German national Matheus Mayer, was delivered a 3-year suspended sentence with five years on probation.

Gmainer and Petrov will also have to pay EUR 1 M in damages to the Defense Ministry.

After being released on bail the German citizens disappeared and were later detained in Germany with an European arrest warrant, but were not extradited to Bulgaria and were tried in their absence.

Military Court Reduces Policemen Sentences in "Chorata" Case

On November 12, Bulgaria's Military Appellate Court reduced in half the sentences of five anti-mafia policemen, accused of killing Angel Dimitrov aka Chorata five years ago.

Major Miroslav Pisov was sentenced to 9 years behind bars, while the other four - captain Ivo Ivanov, chief-lieutenant Boris Mehandzhijski, and sergeants Georgi Kalinkov and Yanko Grahovski - to 8 years in jail.

At the beginning of the year, the Supreme Court of Cassations (VKS) revoked the jail sentence of 82 years total for the five defendants and sent the case back to the Military Appellate Court with the motive there were a number of irregularities committed by the magistrates.

VKS agreed with the latest opinion of medical experts showing Chorata had died from positional asphyxiation, facilitated by his health condition and drug abuse, not from a head trauma and a rupture of the artery.

Angel Dimitrov aka Chorata died in November of 2005 during a law enforcement operation of the Blagoevgrad police, entitled "Respect."

Dimitrov's death was first declared the result of a heart attack but the first expertise showed that he had passed away due to blows to the head. Chorata was a close associate of the alleged mobster Vasil Gorchev, who was publicly executed in January of 2005.

The initial harsh sentences for the police officers triggered mass protest rallies of policemen and citizens in the summer of 2009 in the capital Sofia and in Blagoevgrad. Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has also voiced support for the accused police officers.

Ex Agriculture Fund CEO Acquitted on All Counts

On November 17, the Sofia Court of Appeals declared the former CEO of the State Fund Agriculture, Asen Drumev, not guilty on all counts.

Drumev was sentenced in March, 2010 by the Sofia City Court to four years behind bars on charges he has signed deals that were unfavorable for the Fund, the State and the State budget, and of embezzling BGN 48 M from the EU SAPARD program.

Drumev had continuously claimed innocence.

Ex Deputy Interior Minister Acquitted on Bribery Charges

On November 22, the Sofia Appellate Court confirmed Monday the not-guilty verdict of former Deputy Interior Minister, Raif Mustafa, on bribery charges.

The other defendant – businessman, Rosen Marinov received a 2.5 years suspended sentence and a fine of BGN 5 000.

At the end of June, the lower instance – the Sofia City Court acquitted both, after the Prosecution's Office has asked for 10 years imprisonment for each.

The two were charged with offering a bribe to the former Head of Bulgaria's Fishing Agency, Marin Dimitrov, to withdraw a claim submitted to the Supreme Administrative Court (VAS) with which Dimitrov wanted to stop a public tender won by Marinov.

The trial was held behind closed doors. Unofficial reports say the acquittal was based on lack of enough evidence of Mustafa's involvement in the bribery attempt. The official motives of the magistrates are yet to be announced.

"Toploto" Sentenced for Embezzlement

On December 14, Valentin Dimitrov aka Toploto (The Warm), the former Head of Sofia's heating utility "Toplofikatsiya," received a 3-year sentence, instead of 10 years on embezzlement charges.

Dimitrov still protested the verdict, stating that he is innocent and media coverage was biased.

According to the Court's rule, Valentin Dimitrov, together with 4 managers caused losses "Toplofikatsiya" during the period of 2003-2006 by purchasing luxury goods and spending company money on holidays.

Dimitrov, however, was found not guilty on two other charges, involving signing documents which have allegedly caused damage to the heating utility.

Toploto was arrested after the heating utility had to file for bankruptcy in 2005. In addition to the lavish purchases, it was discovered he has wired over EUR 1.5 M to an Austrian bank. Huge amounts were also found in his mother's accounts and in safe deposit boxes.

In 2009 Dimitrov was sentenced to 14 years behind bars on another charge – money draining from the heating utility. He is appealing the sentence.

In May 2008, Toploto was also sentenced to five years in jail, for tax evasion in the amount of BGN 10 M during the time he was the manager of another company.

The Dead Baby Scandal

At the very end of November, the Bulgarian public was shocked and the Interior Ministry and the Doctors' Union were tangled in an embarrassing dispute over suspicions some obstetricians might have deliberately killed a baby.

Four doctors from a hospital of the central Bulgarian town of Gorna Oryahovitsa were arrested on November 30 on allegations they left a prematurely-born baby die without helping it. After the birth, the doctors allegedly told the 17-year-old mother the baby was still-born; however, an employee of the hospital saw the baby showing some movement.

The scandal grew out of proportion as the police released tapes obtained through special surveillance devices. The recordings were of 3 conversations between the hospital head and some of the delivering doctors, where they can be heard talking about the baby being born alive. The tapes stirred huge outrage, after Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, publically read them in the Parliament, over the cynical language of the doctors regarding the baby's fate and their awareness they could face charges for letting the fetus die.

The arrests caused the Bulgarian Doctors' Union and the medical community to rise up in protest against the "police state" measures.

According to Tsvetanov, the conversations show the baby was "deliberately murdered." He explained the tapes have been declassified and released in response to the negative public reaction to the arrests. It turned out that the police had been spying on the doctors over suspicions of financial crimes committed by the head of the Gorna Oryahovitsa hospital.

The doctors were released on December 2, 2010, as the prosecutors could not find definitive evidence of a crime.

Right before the Christmas Holidays, the expert opinion of coroners, who performed an autopsy of the baby, was revealed showing solid proofs that the baby was still-born. The coroners explained the baby's movement with spinal impulses after brain death occurred in the mother's womb

On December 22, the last work day of the Parliament, Tsvetanov was summoned there to provide explanations about the actions of the Interior Ministry in the case, but the Minister appeared in plenary hall only after 8 pm at which point there was no quorum for his hearing as most MPs had left.

New Assassination Plot against Bulgaria's PM

In the beginning of November, the Bulgarian daily "24 Chassa" (24 Hours) published information that about 10 days ago, Bulgarian intelligence have intercepted phone calls and meetings of some key personalities and discovered the latest plan to murder Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov for the price of EUR 400,000.

It was also reported that 4 months ago, foreign intelligence have caught a meeting between well-known Bulgarians in the 5-star King George Palace hotel in Athens, dedicated to a discussion of how to eliminate the PM and with him police terror in Bulgaria.

This is the third alleged assassination plot against Borisov.

The sum of EUR 400,000 is too little for my life, the PM said, confirming the information about an assassination plot against him.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister has stated that people who have such plans also have a motive, like affected personal financial interests.

His theory was confirmed by the Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who told reporters that he "could not deny the above information," vowing all necessary measures would be swiftly undertaken.

Special Police Operations

Operation "Apashite" (The Thieves), in the beginning of January, led to the arrest of notorious car thief known under the alias Kubeto (The Dome).

The sequel in February and March aimed at countering a car-theft gang codenamed "The Fakirs."

On April 21, forged documents, banknotes and road vignette stickers were seized during operation "The Forgers," which took place in the city of Veliko Tarnovo and the town of Sevlievo.

At the end of April, 5 people were detained over charges of illegal registration of cars with the Traffic Police (KAT) to avoid emissions taxes and illegal trade of vehicle brought in from non EU countries to save on VAT taxes. Several addresses were raided in the capital in operation "The Registrars." A month later, another 4 were detained in the Burgas Traffic Police (KAT) offices, as part of the same operation.

Around the same time, 7 people were detained, including an Iranian citizen, in Kazanluk, in a special operation codenamed "Terrorists", targeting a mafia group involved in the sale of Kalashnikov guns and other weapons.

Meanwhile, police in Stara Zagora and Radnevo busted 3 people during Operation "Sweeties" over alleged involvement in the illegal trade of spare parts for tractors used in the Maritsa Iztok mines.

In mid-May May, Bulgaria's Interior Ministry carried out a special operation against telephone frauds, codenamed "The Swindlers." 5 people were detained in Sofia and the town of Levski, four of whom have been previously charged with felony. The gang members allegedly made phone calls asking large amounts of money by pretending to be officials investing deadly traffic incidents involving close relatives of the targeted fraud victims.

Also in May, Bulgarian commandos carried out a special police operation against drug dealers in the Bulgarian capital Sofia as well as in villages near the town of Svoge (33 km away from Sofia).

On May 14, Bulgaria's police reported they launched operation "The Tax Drainers" in which nearly 20 people have been arrested. The gang is accused of robbing the State of about BGN 40 M. The Tax Drainers have used illiterate people from the Bulgarian Roma community and registered companies on their name.

On May 15, night clubs, offices and several private addresses in Bulgaria's capital Sofia were raided in operation "The Pimps," leading to 4 arrests.

Meanwhile, the police in the central city of Stara Zagora brought to conclusion another operation, codenamed "The Negligent," against a crime group dealing with illegal trade of ammunition from the military training ground "Zmeevo."

On May 19, Bulgarian police launched in the entire country a special operation targeting excise duty fraudsters, involving probes of big alcohol producers. The special "Excise Duty" police op was a follow-up of the March and April police raids when 225 000 bottles of alcohol without excise label or with fake alcohol were confiscated. In June, operation "Excise Duty" led to 4 arrests in a village near the southern city of Sliven and the seizure of 250 000 bottles of liquor with fake excise labels. The operation also took place in the cities of Plovdiv, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo and others with raids of several alcohol storage warehouses.

At the end of May, the Interior Ministry carried out a special operation codenamed "Cigarettes," busting channels for contraband cigarettes in the city of Pazardzhik, the town of Panagyurishte, the town of Peshtera, and the cities of Sliven, Yambol and Burgas. (Cigarettes' contraband is said to be booming in Bulgaria and is one of the main problems of the Customs Agency and the Interior.)

On May 31, Bulgarian commandos made 3 arrests in Sofia during a special police operation, code-named "The Crooks", aimed against criminals, allegedly targeting businessmen, representatives in Bulgaria of a big German company.

On June 9, Bulgarian commandos made 4 arrests in the Danube city of Vidin, during a special operation codenamed "Loan Sharks," targeting people offering loans without permit and then blackmailing customers.

In mid-June, police in Sofia arrested 6 people in a special operation codenamed "The Incompetent." They were accused of using fake credit cards to buy goods from large supermarkets, which were later resold at lower prices to smaller stores.

June also saw operation "The Phone Operators" targeting large-scale phone scams in Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo and operation "Sick Leave," aimed at stopping the draining of the Social Security Institute (NOI).

In July, Bulgarian police launched across the country special operation "All Trumps" against tax fraud schemes.

On July 7, Bulgarian police detained 4 customs agents in an operation, codenamed "The Strikers." The suspects were supposed to burn cigarettes packs with expired excise labels, but they hid them in an attempt to sell them on the black market.

In August, 3 people were arrested during a special police operation called "The Gunsmiths," targeting people involved in illegal arms trade in Sofia and Plovdiv while operation "The Founders" aimed at the illegal trade of gold, platinum and precious metal.

Also in August, police busted a crime ring which was draining fuel from a Lukoil fuel line. The operation, codenamed "The Sheikhs," led to the arrests of 11 men, four of whom were police officers.

On August 21, police launched operation codenamed "The Twerps," resulting in the arrest of Dimitar Komarov, 24, AKA Kiflata (The Bun), who is a high-profile underworld figure. The target was an organized crime group dealing with armed robberies and theft.

In the beginning of October, Bulgarian authorities aimed at countering the spread of radical Islam, raiding addresses in southern Bulgaria (Velingrad, Pazardzhik, Blagoevgrad and Smolyan) in the search for extremist Islam propaganda materials.

Four people from Bulgaria's southern Smolyan Region were exposed as having ties with the alleged illegal Bulgarian branch of the extremist Al Waqf al Islami Foundaton, known to be connected to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US and other terrorist acts. Pre-trial proceedings were launched.

On October 18, robbers managed to steal from a storage facility of the Bulgarian Customs Agency at the Sofia airport more than 320 kg of gold, 20 kg of silver, and 1 kg of platinum, which the Bulgarian police captured in August in one of its much advertised special operations - "The Founders." The "Founders" were busted as they were about to exports the precious metals through the airport. On November 10, Bulgarian police busted six men, including a former senior customs officer, who were believed to have stolen the metals. This special police operation was codenamed "The Combinators".

Effort to Preserve Bulgaria's Cultural Heritage

In 2010, Bulgarian authorities also focused on halting illegal treasure hunting and the export of antiques from the country, as part of the special police operation "Cultural Valuables."

In mid-March, Bulgaria's Unit for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) intercepted a channel for the illegal export of objects with cultural and historical value to the Netherlands when two packages, addressed to Dutch citizens, were found at the Sofia Airport. The content analysis revealed a large number of valuable objects dating from the Antiquity and the Middle Age.

On May 27, Sofia police raided a paintings auction in Grand Hotel Sofia and arrested two of the organizers - Dimitar Fitsov and journalist Igor Markovski. They spent 24 hours in jail, before being released on a BGN 5 000 bail while an expert examination of the paintings was carried out. The value of the auctioned art works is estimated at over EUR 70 000.

A total of 50 paintings from 19th and 20th century Bulgarian authors were supposed to be offered for sale at the auction, including works by some of the most prominent Bulgarian artists such as Vladimir Dimitrov the Master. Paintings of living authors were also part of the auction.

The auction was organized by the auction house "Apollo and Mercury," which is connected to Markovski, who told police interrogators that nothing illegal has happened and the auction did not include stolen or missing art works.

According to unconfirmed information, the police might have been looking for a stolen painting which they expected to find among the auctioned works.

In May, Bulgarian police busted a priest, who organized illegal antiques' sale over the internet. The police raided four locations in the capital Sofia, the northern city of Vratsa and the town of Oryahovo, and located 53 Thracian, Rome and Byzantine coins, jewelry and antique vessels along with a Heracles bust of and a Venus marble head.

In July, GDBOP seized more than 100 coins and antique jewelry and arrested 2 people for illegal treasure-hunting activities.

In August, Canadian authorities captured a shipment with Bulgarian antiques valued at over EUR 100 000, primarily coins from the Antiquity, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria's Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov sent a letter to Canada's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, requesting the confiscation and the return of the antiques to Bulgaria. The two countries already have a procedure under the 1970 Paris Convention of World Heritage.

Also in August, Bulgarian police recovered around 380 antique artifacts after a search in private homes in Sofia and a village nearby Vratsa, and detained 5 persons suspected of illegal treasure hunting. During the same month, near the city of Shumen, police stopped a vehicle for a check upon which they discovered 2 000 various objects with cultural and historical value, including jewelry, icons, coins and other gold items while Bulgarian Customs agents found four authentic antique objects at the border check point Kalotina between Bulgaria and Serbia.

At the beginning of September, GDBOP busted a group of illegal treasure hunters, acting in the area of the antique settlement in the vicinity of the village of Koshava near the Danube city of Vidin. The raid discovered 26 coins dating from the time of the Ottoman Empire and from Antiquity and antique bronze vessels.

At the beginning of October, Bulgarian police arrested 5 men in the village of Ustina, near the city of Plovdiv, while they were attempting to conduct an illegal deal to sell pages from an antique metal book, 4 ceramic statuettes, and a ceramic bowl.

In mid-November, Bulgaria's criminal police stopped the illegal sale of Bulgarian medieval coins on the internet site of an auction business - "CHG - Classical Numismatic Group, Inc" - registered in London. According to the police, one of the coins was very rare – a silver penny of Despot Dobrotitsa, from a mint in Kaliakra, listed in the "Bulgarian Antique Coins from the 9th to the 15th Century Period" catalog, published in 1999 in Sofia. In 2007, a collection of 500 medieval crosses and 2 000 medieval coins, including the said silver penny, were stolen from the home of one of the authors of the catalog.

At the beginning of December, Bulgarian police was able to halt illegal antique trade and illegal archeological digs in the area of the ancient city of Nove. The police search discovered 250 silver and 2 380 bronze coins, over 400 ornaments – rings, medieval crosses, and others, and five antique ceramic vessels.

Bulgaria in International Crime News

In 2010, once again Bulgarian criminals made news all over the world for human trafficking, illegal drug trade, ATM and credit card fraud.

Some of the most important international news, involving Bulgaria last year were:

Sister of Slayed Bulgarian Murky Businessman Murdered in US

Slavka Naydenova, sister of Bulgarian murky tycoon, founder and President of the Multigroup Corporation, Iliya Pavlov, who was gunned down in Sofia 7 years ago, and her son, Paul Wilson, were killed in the United States, on February 2.

Naydenova and her son were stabbed to death in their home in Dale City, Virginia. Naydenova's husband came home from work to find their bodies about 11 p.m., police said.

According to a criminal complaint on file in Prince William General District Court, Natalia Wilson, 47, a Russian native, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Slavka Pavlova Naydenova, 41, and her son Paul Wilson, 8.

Wilson was allegedly "jealous of her husband's relationship with Slavka." Wilson's husband, Lester, is Slavka Naydenova's ex-husband.

Her current husband, a Bulgarian national, is not a suspect. US police and FBI have ruled out any connection with Iliya Pavlov's murder.

The father, Pavel Naydenov says he has not been called by the US authorities for testimony and his daughter-in-law, Darina Pavlova, who lives in the US, is the one in touch with the investigation.

On February 21, the bodies of the victims were flown to Bulgaria to be buried in the village of Mirovyane - Naydenova's mother last resting place.

The transportation of the bodies to Bulgaria has been slowed down because of planned expertise in the US, which had to determine whether there are DNA traces of an accomplice of the main suspect, Natalia Wilson.

Scotland Yard Renews Hope of Solving Murder of Bulgarian Writer

It was announced in February that the assassination of Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian ?migr? broadcaster and a dissident writer, who was poisoned in London in 1978, might soon be solved after Scotland Yard officers examined secret files in Bulgaria.

Counter-terrorism detectives spent two weeks in Sofia sifting through the communist-era archives with the hope charges could be brought over one of the Cold War's most high-profile unsolved mysteries.

Meanwhile, the prestigious TIME magazine ranked Markov's murder among the top ten assassination plots. The writer was murdered with a ricin-coated pellet, fired from an adapted pen; an umbrella was dropped nearby to distract him.

According to Bulgarian secret-service files, an Italian-born Dane Francesco Gullino AKA Piccadilly, was the killer.

Destruction of documents and official obstruction seemed to have left the trail cold, but in a book being published in September last year, Hristo Hristov, a Bulgarian investigative journalist, offered the results of his search of 97 previously classified files, obtained after a three-year legal battle. They show evidence of Piccadilly's involvement and of close links between the Bulgarian secret services and the Soviet KGB regarding the murder.

German Journalist Jurgen Roth Wins Bulgarian Court Battle

On October 14, a Bulgarian court cleared renowned German publicist Jurgen Roth, who was sued by Bulgaria's former Interior Minister Rumen Petkov over alleged slander in Roth's book about organized crime in Bulgaria, entitled "The New Demons".

Sofia District Court rejected the former minister claim that Roth pays him BGN 10 000 in damages.

The trial was held behind closed doors due to the high-profile witnesses, including former Head of Unit for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) and current Customs Agency Director, Vanyo Tanov, and Former Interior Ministry Chief Secretary, Valentin Petrov.

In the book Roth cites sources making scandalous revelations Petkov has relations to organized criminal networks and is involved in the production of synthetic drugs in Bulgaria.

According to high-level unnamed officials in the Interior, quoted by Roth, the former interior minister personally controls trafficking of amphetamines from Bulgaria to Turkey and the Middle East, which was the practice of the Security Services during the Communist regime. Petkov is also said to have held meetings with top drug lords.

The investigative journalist has repeatedly confirmed that he stands behind every single word that he has written and would have done everything in the same way if he had to write his book today.

Jurgen Roth has decided not to come to Bulgaria for the trial, saying he fears for his life, but after being cleared visited Sofia to present his latest book and to meet top Bulgarian officials.

Australian "Stabber" Trail Drags on in Sofia

In October, the appeal trial, filed by the defense council of Australian Jock Palfreeman, began in Sofia with the Sofia Appeals Court granting the defense's request to re-examine witnesses. The court however refused to re-examine CCTV footage or forensic evidence.

Jock Palfreeman was found guilty last December of the murder of 20-year-old Bulgarian law student Andrei Monov and of severely wounding Antoan Zahariev, 19, in a fight in Sofia on December 28, 2007. He has been kept behind bars in a Bulgarian jail since then.

The 23-year-old Australian man has pleaded not guilty. He insists he acted in self-defense after coming to the rescue of two Roma, who, he says, were attacked and beaten by Monov and more than a dozen of his friends.

According to Bulgarian prosecutors, who asked for life imprisonment for the defendant, Palfreeman was not provoked.

Jock's family, friends and supporters call his verdict is a "hideous perversion of justice".

Family and friends of the jailed Australian held a rally in Sydney ahead of his appeal, part of what organizers have called an international week of support for him.

The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, the nation's most active human rights group, stands firm in defense of Palfreeman.

On November 11, the Appeals Court confirmed there were discrepancies in evidence that helped to convict the young Australian.

Bulgarian policeman, Peter Katsarov, stood by a statement he gave five weeks after the stabbing when he said police at the scene told him there had been an attack on some Roma and Palfreeman had gone to their aid. In last year's murder trial, Katsarov did not make any reference to the Roma, which he now explained with having forgotten the details with the passage of time.

Antoan Zahariev, who was stabbed during the incident, took the witness stand as well. On the day of the attack he made a sworn police statement saying that just before Palfreeman confronted his group, there was already a fight between some of his friends and some other people, who might have been "gypsies." Five weeks later, Zahariev recanted his words. During the murder trial, he said he did not remember there being any gypsies.

On November 11, Zahariev told the appellate magistrates he must have been still in shock when he gave his initial version of events and he was now confident that there had been no physical clash with anybody before Palfreeman suddenly confronted his group wielding a knife.

Three other witnesses who were called over discrepancies between their initial statements and trial evidence failed to appeal, prompting the judge to schedule the next hearing for November 25.

On November 25, a Bulgarian policeman and policewoman told the court that on reflection, they stood by their original statements that Palfreeman had gone to the aid of a Roma gypsy who was being beaten by a group of 12 Bulgarian men.

The court was adjourned for December 22, when one more witness, a friend of the victim who is understood to be studying in Germany, was to take the stand.

Alexander Donev was able to arrive from Germany, but the case was again postponed for January 19 since the flight of Palfreeman's father, who is also his attorney, was delayed.

The previous adjournment of the appeals hearing has irked Palfreeman's family, who say the whole thing just drags on.

Guilty Plea for Bulgarian ID Thief in US

At the beginning of November, a Bulgarian man, who stole the name of a slain boy in the United States, pleaded guilty to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft.

36-year-old, Doitchin Krastev, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison.

Krastev, who pleaded not guilty in the middle of October, changed his plea to guilty on November 3 before an US District in Portland.

Under the plea agreement authorities in Hamilton County, Ohio, agreed to dismiss ID theft charges against Krastev. His sentencing is set for January 18.

Federal investigators believe that in 1996 the Bulgarian stole the identity of Jason Evers, a 3-year-old boy who was murdered in 1982, and used it to get a job with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

The man, who brought Krastev to the US from Bulgaria in 1992 - attorney Michael Horowitz, says he planned for the young Bulgarian to use his time in the US to prepare for a leadership role upon returning to his homeland, but learned quickly that Krastev did not share that goal.

Instead, Horowitz believes, Krastev came to love American life and didn't want to return to Bulgaria. The young man subsequently disappeared and the attorney did not hear anything about him until the news of his arrest.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle recently announced the Bulgarian had been placed on an "immigration hold."

Pope Attacker Ali Agca Walks out of Jail

In November, Mehmet Ali Agca, who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981, putting the blame afterwards on the Bulgarian secret service, alleged the Vatican government has masterminded the move and the order to shoot the Pope was given by Vatican secretary, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli.

Agca's accusation is just one of many he has made since he met a forgiving Pope John Paul II in 1983. Once he claimed a connection to a Palestinian group, but later blamed the Bulgarian secret service.

Mehmet Ali Agca was released from jail in Turkey at the beginning of the year and promptly proclaimed that he is "the Christ eternal".

Agca served 19 years in an Italian prison for shooting John Paul, and another 10 years in Turkey for the earlier murder of a Turkish newspaper editor.

In 1981, John Paul II was shot and critically wounded in St Peter's Square by Agca, who later alleged he had been commissioned to do so by the Bulgarian secret service acting on the orders of the Soviet KGB, which feared the pontiff would encourage anti-communist revolt.

Calls for taking the Turkish gunman to court has been given a new boost in Bulgaria after his release in a bid to dismiss any suspicion of the country's involvement in the pope assassination attempt.

Three Turks and three Bulgarians, charged with conspiring with Agca, were acquitted by an Italian court for lack of evidence. One of the Bulgarians was Sergei Antonov, who at the time of the arrest worked as a manager in the Rome office of Balkan Air.

Shattered and physically damaged, he returned to Bulgaria after spending 3 years in Italian jail. Antonov was unable to carry on a conversation or concentrate on complex tasks, symptoms his friends say came from the use of psychotropic drugs in his interrogation. He died alone and forgotten in his small flat in Bulgaria and it was only after a couple of days that his body was found.

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