Appelate Court Sets Free Sofia Arsons Suspect

Crime | December 27, 2011, Tuesday // 12:13
Appelate Court Sets Free Sofia Arsons Suspect: Appelate Court Sets Free Sofia Arsons Suspect Yuliyan Kovachki, accused of a number of car arsons in Bulgaria's capital Sofia, is escorted out of the courtroom. Photo by BGNES

The Sofia Court of Appeals released from arrest Tuesday Yuliyan Kovachki, who was accused of several car arsons in the capital.

On December 18, the Sofia City Court ruled to keep him in permanent custody, on the grounds there is reasonable doubt he had committed the arsons and because he has a criminal record.

Yuliyan Kovachki, 29, was arrested on December 15 – it was revealed that he knew the majority of his victims and committed the arsons over anger from being unemployed in the last two years. He admitted to 12 arson cases, and has been indicted on 12 counts of arson. In Court, however, he claimed innocence. He told magistrates that the cars began burning on their own when he was walking near them,

In addition to being unemployed, it was reported that he was an orphan and often abused alcohol. He has a criminal record for theft and hooliganism. Kovachki further failed the lie detector test after being arrested in connection with the arsons.

The appellate magistrates decided that there is not enough evidence to keep the suspect behind bars and ruled for him to be released on own recognizance.

The judge stated that witness testimony did not prove the crime had been committed by Kovachki. Among other motives were the facts that traces of flammable substances have not been established on the defendants clothes; the psychologists could not be questioned as experts, and the lie detector test is not admissible court evidence.

Kovachki, allegedly, committed the arsons under the influence of alcohol and had been involved in setting vehicles and buildings on fire to counter his anger and dissatisfaction with life.

He is investigated for a total of over 25 fires.

Two other suspect have already been released by the Sofia City Court – on December 23, Vladislav Nikolov AKA Kukata (The Hook) was let go on own recognizance while Radoslav Stoyanov was set free on December 20 on a BGN 700 bail.

The number of car arsons, which started occurring in the beginning of December is close to 60, after incidents spread from Sofia to other cities and towns.

The police say that the arsons were committed by several groups with different motives and some have been Kovachki's copycats. Others believe the arsons were set on purpose by an unknown, but powerful mastermind in order to destabilize the cabinet of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB.

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Tags: arrested, arrest, car, arsons, arson, police, sofia, bail, Sofia City Court, recognizance, car arsons, The Hook, Yuliyan Kovachki, GERB

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