One of the accused in the smuggling affair in the "Customs" Agency is released from custody, BNR reported.
The Sofia City Court has changed the remand of Haskovo businessman Marin Marinov to "house arrest", but he will remain in custody until the final ruling of the Sofia Court of Appeal.
Marinov, his son Stefan, the former chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Zhivko Kotsev, the former director of customs Petya Bankova and Nikola Nikolov, nicknamed Pascal, are accused of participating in an organized criminal group for smuggling, trading in influence and bribery. Bankova and Stefan Dimitrov are in custody, Kotsev is free on BGN 20,000 bail, and Nikolov is being sought.
According to the lawyer of Marin Marinov - Ivaylo Naydenov, in the case mainly materials were collected to discredit the former ministers Boyko Rashkov and Asen Vasilev, and there is no evidence or testimony that his client is part of a criminal group:
"Excluding those who say "We saw Marin at Boyko Rashkov". The former chief secretary, yes, he has seen it, it is not a crime. There is not a single conversation between Marin and Bankova. There is absolutely no communication whatsoever with Bankova. The new evidence has been questioned by employees of the Ministry of Finance, whether Maria or Stefan Dimitrovi visited Asen Vassilev's office as Minister of Finance, none of them said that there was such a thing. For me, this case was necessary up to a point. The interest is no longer the same. As a citizen, I think so. As a lawyer, I believe that there is no evidence of participation in any organized crime. I don't know what the role of Zhivko Kotsev is, I have no idea.