Four of the five accused for real estate fraud, in which they were three apartments in Plovdiv, owned by a 57-year-old man, remain in custody, the District Court decided.
After a secret meeting, the panel decided that in this particular case, the only measure of remand, which is able to fulfill the goals provided by the law, is the most severe one - “detention in custody”. The court justified its decision by taking into account the criminal record of the defendants Ivan Stoyanov, Stoimen Bankov, Emil Chavdarov and Emil Dimitrov, the degree of public danger of the act and the possibility that they may abscond or commit another crime, as well as the testimony of numerous witnesses.< /p>
Before the District Court in Plovdiv issued a final decision, the opinions of the prosecution and the defense were heard, and finally the last word was given to the accused, who asked for a lighter measure of remand, assuring the court that they would cooperate with the investigating authorities.
The state prosecution explained the mechanism of the crime.
"Gaining the victim's trust, giving him small change for cigarettes and plying him with alcohol, they managed to convince him to participate in the sale of one of the apartments. At the same time, under the pretext that this apartment will be sold, they have taken him to all possible institutions in order to clear all debts from all his properties.
After that, with a power of attorney, one of the accused transferred the real estate to another of the accused before a notary, and the three apartments, all located in the city of Plovdiv, were sold for the total sum of BGN 97 thousand. The apartments were transferred to a company represented by the accused Dimitrov. The company then resells them to third parties. Later, the victim was convinced by one of the defendants that the latter expected to receive such an amount, but his bank accounts were seized. Therefore, he provided the victim's account, where the money from the purchase and sale was transferred, and then he gave it back to them, thinking that this money was not his, said the prosecutor.
He added that after the sale of the properties, the victim was taken to the city of Elena to one of the defendants, who lives there.
"He was supplied with alcohol every day, his phone was taken away so that none of his relatives could contact him and, respectively, he was physically removed from the city of Plovdiv so that he could not understand what was happening happens to his apartments. The crime was committed extremely mercilessly and they have no remorse for what they have done," the prosecutor also commented.
The decision of the court is subject to appeal and protest within 7 days. The next court hearing is scheduled for August 22, when the complaints or protest, if any, will be heard.