A court in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-biggest city, has overturned the removal from office of Radi Minchev, the mayor of the southern town of Perushtitsa.

The Plovdiv Court of Appeals believes there is not enough evidence that Michev might interfere with an ongoing investigation if he remains at his post, according to BGNES wire service.

Minchev is the single mayor elected last year on the ticket of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), a right-wing party that is part of Reformist Bloc alliance (the junior partner in Bulgaria's minority cabinet) but is an opposition to the government.

DSB officials have slammed the allegations as political.

A petition backed by Perushtitsa residents was also submitted to the court earlier on Tuesday, with 1500 signatories, according to BGNES.

Minchev was detained in a corruption probe in mid-September, but was released on bail a week later.

He was indicted on several counts, including a requested bribe of BGN 40 000, embezzlement and forgery of documents.

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