Sofia city court ruled to keep in detention the Croatian national Robert Matanic, charged with the murder of three Bulgarian underworld bosses.

Matanic is suspected to be a leader of the assassination squad that executed Dimitar Hristov, Kaloya Savov and Zhivko Mitev in a shootout on June 4, 2004.

The Croatian will also be tried over the attempted murder of Vladimir Gamanov and Stefan Zhelezarov, who were injured in the shooting.

After the incident, the assailants, dressed like priests, escaped unhurt from the scene of the crime, a cafe near a big hotel in Sofia.

Matanic is also suspected to be involved in the murder of one of the leading Bulgarian mobsters in the past years Milcho "Baj Mile" Bonev in 2004.

The Croatian citizen has been extradited to Bulgaria from Serbia three days ago. He has been in prison there since 2005, when he was arrested on suspicions of smuggling weapons and possession of firearms.

He is also thought to have been a close associate of the Serbian Zemun crime clan, which orchestrated and carried out the assassination Serbian PM Zoran Djindjic

Matanic has also been arrested repeatedly in his native Croatia on charges of illegal possession of firearms and blackmail.

The ruling of the court can be appealed within three days.

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