Shields' Lawyer: Recognition Procedure Was Vitiated

Novinite Insider » INTERVIEW | August 5, 2005, Friday // 00:00

Lawyer Oleg Atanassov is defendant lawyer of Michael Shields, 19, who was jailed for 15 years. Shields was convicted of premeditated attempt to kill Martin Georgiev, a Bulgarian barman who suffered a fractured skull in a street melee with British fans on May 30. Georgiev has said the court jailed the right man, while Michael Shields has protested his innocence.

Sofia News Agency Editor Ivelina Puhaleva approached lawyer Oleg Atanassov to discuss the trial and the expectations of the defense team in the appeals proceedings for the release of Shields. The Varna Appeals court will hear the case on August 9.

Q: Mr Atanassov, is it possible to bring Sankey back to Bulgaria and question him again in court?

A: There are no such legal proceedings. The only option is to declare him wanted through Interpol, but for this purpose in the country wanting his search, the person should be a defendant in a lawsuit or has an enforced sentence. Which we do not have in this case.

Q: What if Bulgaria claims Sankey extradited?

A: It does not matter. There is hardly any country in the world to extradite its own citizen to a country where the person might be sentenced for life.


Q: Is it possible that the Varna Prosecution Office launches penal proceedings against Graham Sankey? What would happen in this case?

A: If the Bulgarian prosecution launches proceedings against Graham Sankey, it would mean to admit the option that Sankey, instead of Shields, had committed the crime for which Michael Shields received a sentence of 15 years in jail. In my opinion, the prosecution should answer the question whether there is any evidence against Sankey, given the press reports.

Another option is to refuse to initiate penal proceedings.

Q: What do you expect in the trial further on?

A: Regretfully, I do not believe that the appeals court would review the evidence, so far as the authorship of the crime is concerned. But I think the strong side of the defense is that the procedure of recognition of Michael Shields was obviously vitiated.

Q: In what way was it vitiated?

A: First of all, the persons subjected to recognition hardly look like Michael Shields. Secondly, my client was not allowed to pick up a number on his own. Shields has claimed that every time he appeared for recognition he held the same number. Besides, in only one of the series of recognitions - on June 16 - the procedure was performed in the presence of a lawyer.

I have also objected the blatant insimilarity of Michael Shields with the rest of the people who appeared for recognition.

Q: Do you find such close similarity between Michael Shields and Graham Sankey?

A: I have not seen Sankey personally, but according to the staff in Crystal Hotel where they stayed, the two looked quite alike in height and stature.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Interview » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria