The Sofia City Court changed the detention measure of the former deputy mayor of Sofia Municipality Nikola Barbutov to a lighter one and imposed house arrest on him. Until now, he was detained in custody. According to the court, there are no real prerequisites that would condition his detention. The ruling is not final and is subject to appeal and protest.
Barbutov is accused of participating in an organized criminal group, with the aim of committing crimes in office and bribery. The prosecutor's office recently filed an indictment with the court against him, Petar Rafailov, Sonya Klisurska and Rositsa Pandova – deputy mayor of the “Lyulin“ district, BTA recalled.
A month ago, another court panel of the Sofia City Court changed Barbutov's detention measure and imposed house arrest on him, but then the appeals court overturned the first instance ruling. Previously, several court panels refused to change Nikola Barbutov's detention measure to a lighter one.
Lawyer Ina Lulcheva requested changes to the measure to a lighter one, noting that her client has been in custody for over five months. There is not a single new circumstance that would justify this most severe detention measure, the defense attorney said. She noted that the detention measure should be neither punishment nor prevention. Lulcheva added that Barbutov has no criminal record, is married with two small children, and no behavior of his has been established that is aimed at hindering the process. According to Ina Lulcheva, there is no evidence that Nikola Barbutov is in danger of committing a crime if he is not detained.
I ask for a lighter measure in order to be close to my family, Nikola Barbutov told the court.
Prosecutor Iliyan Tochev from the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office stated that there are no grounds for changing the measure of detention, and that the reasonable assumption that Barbutov committed the crime for which he is accused has not been shaken. He recalled that an indictment was recently filed with the court. Prosecutor Doycho Darev added that there is still a risk of the defendant committing a crime.