The former chief of the 61st The Stryam brigade in Karlovo gen. Dimitar Shivikov ordered the prosecution to pay him compensation of BGN 120,000. for his accusation of misappropriation of NATO property - blankets, winter sets, jackets, sports equipment, balls, trophy jugs and camping beds, FOCUS reported.
According to the prosecutor's office, he committed this in 2010. as the head of our mission in Kabul, and the total value of the allied blankets and other items is BGN 10,225. The goods were given to our contingent in Afghanistan to distribute to the local population, some of them remained and Shivikov sent them to Bulgaria to reach the orphanages.
The charge was brought in 2015, Shivikov was acquitted at all levels and the sentence entered into force in April 2019. After that, he filed a case against the prosecutor's office, because the trial against him received a media response, which damaged his good name, separately prevented him from occupying a high position in NATO, and triggered illnesses.
The Plovdiv District Court finds that the fair compensation is BGN 50,000, but Shivikov appealed and the appellate magistrates increased the amount to BGN 120,000, because he actually suffered non-property damage, and the criminal proceedings lasted too long - 3 years , 7 months and 10 days.
In July 2018, the Military Court in Plovdiv ruled that General Shivikov is innocent of the charge of abuse of his official position.
In December 2015 Shivikov was brought to court on the charge that, as the commander of the Karlov Brigade, in the period from an unspecified date before April 29, 2014. until August 5 this year has damaged the Bulgarian army. The general provided sub-Balkan settlements with military tents and tableware for national celebrations without asking for rent.
In March of the same year, the Sofia military court declared him innocent on charges that, as head of the Bulgarian mission in Afghanistan, he misused blankets and balls provided by the allied troops.
The abuse, according to the indictment, consists in the fact that instead of leaving the American blankets and balls to the local residents, Shivikov ordered them to return to Bulgaria.