On September 5, the Sofia City Court received requests to change the detention measures of three defendants - the mayor of Varna Blagomir Kotsev, the former deputy mayor of Sofia Nikola Barbutov and the businessman Petar Rafailov.
The court is now scheduled to schedule the hearings at which the three will hear their appeals against their detention, BTA reports.
The mayor of Varna Blagomir Kotsev is being investigated for corruption and the court has already decided twice to keep him behind bars. His defense claims that the prosecution is delaying the case and preventing his request for a lighter measure from being considered in a timely manner.
Nikola Barbutov and Petar Rafailov are accused in another investigation - for participation in an organized criminal group related to bribery and abuse in Sofia Municipality. New charges have recently been brought against Barbutov: that he exceeded his authority and, together with Rafailov, offered "assistance" to the district mayors of "Lyulin" and "Mladost" in public procurement, insisting on certain companies and conditions.
At the end of July, the appeals court remanded Kotsev in custody, along with two municipal councilors from Varna - Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov. Only businessman Ivaylo Marinov was then released on bail.
Meanwhile, the appeals court in Sofia ruled definitively that Barbutov and Rafailov remain in custody.
On Friday, September 5, GERB leader Boyko Borisov said that if he had the power, he would immediately release Kotsev, even though two court panels had already decided to keep him in custody. At the same time, protests in Varna continue - city residents have once again demanded the release of Kotsev and the two municipal councilors.