Bulgaria's Notorious 'Octopus' Freed on Bail

Crime | December 22, 2012, Saturday // 12:52
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's Notorious 'Octopus' Freed on Bail Aleksei Petrov. File photo by BGNES

Notorious Bulgarian businessman Aleksei Petrov, who is tried on numerous counts for organized crime, has been released on a bail of BGN 10 000.

Sofia Court of Appeals took that decision Friday, a week after Sofia City Court released the alleged gang leader from detention to house arrest, citing Petrov's deteriorating health condition.

The court also decided that the prosecution's claim that if Petrov is released from arrest, he would influence witnesses, lacks substantiation.

Aleksei Petrov was arrested in February 2010 in a much-publicized special operation by Bulgaria's police, codenamed Octopus.

Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov and Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov did much to portray Petrov as the mastermind of an extensive organized crime network.

The trial against Petrov has however dragged for months with little progress, and with the prosecution forced to drop part of the charges against him.

In the early 1990s, Petrov was a business partner of Borisov. He has also served time as an agent in Bulgaria's special services, including newly founded DANS.

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

Crime » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: DANS, Boyko Borisov, Aleksei Petrov, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Octopus, Sofia City Court, house arrest, organized crime, Sofia Court of Appeals

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