Jailed Bulgarian Drug Boss Escorted to Court over Fellows' Trial
Crime | November 12, 2008, Wednesday
Mityo Ochite was escorted by police to the court in Vratza, where a trial against his fellows started. File photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
Top Bulgarian drug boss Dimitar Zhelyazkov, aka Mityo Ochite ("The Eyes"), currently serving a jail sentence, has been escorted under high security measures from his cell in Burgas to the court in the city of Vratza, where a trial against his alleged fellows started.
Zhelyazkov was transported to Vratza on the demand of the observing prosecutor in the case against the criminal group reportedly headed by Yordan Tonov. Mr Tonov is thought to be a close ally of Ochite and responsible for the control of the drug market in several Bulgarian cities.
It is likely that charges are raised against Zhelyazkov too, prosecutor Kamelia Trifonova told the Trud daily on Tuesday.
In January 2008 Dimitar Zhelyazkov was convicted of organizing an armed group, drug dealing and drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 4,5 years in jail after he confessed as part of a deal with the prosecutor.
The minimum sentence for his crimes was 5 years but Bulgarian law stipulates that a person who makes confessions must receive a sentence below the minimum.
Ochite tends to often attract public attention as on Saturday when he was spotted among the VIP guests at the opening of a disco club in the Black Sea town of Pomorie.
According to the Deputy Director of the Burgas prison, Dimitar Kostov, Zhelyazkov was on his legal two-day leave from the prison, that he was awarded for his exemplary behavior.
Zhelyazkov was transported to Vratza on the demand of the observing prosecutor in the case against the criminal group reportedly headed by Yordan Tonov. Mr Tonov is thought to be a close ally of Ochite and responsible for the control of the drug market in several Bulgarian cities.
It is likely that charges are raised against Zhelyazkov too, prosecutor Kamelia Trifonova told the Trud daily on Tuesday.
In January 2008 Dimitar Zhelyazkov was convicted of organizing an armed group, drug dealing and drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 4,5 years in jail after he confessed as part of a deal with the prosecutor.
The minimum sentence for his crimes was 5 years but Bulgarian law stipulates that a person who makes confessions must receive a sentence below the minimum.
Ochite tends to often attract public attention as on Saturday when he was spotted among the VIP guests at the opening of a disco club in the Black Sea town of Pomorie.
According to the Deputy Director of the Burgas prison, Dimitar Kostov, Zhelyazkov was on his legal two-day leave from the prison, that he was awarded for his exemplary behavior.
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