The court once again refused to allow Vasil Bozhkov, accused of instigating an organized criminal group in gambling and murdering competitors, to leave Bulgaria, writes "Blits".
The decision of the Sofia Court of Appeal comes after the Sofia City Court previously allowed Bozhkov to travel abroad for a limited period. The ruling was appealed by the prosecutor's office and was ultimately overturned.
Why Bozhkov is not allowed abroad
The state prosecution pointed out that the danger of absconding is real, and Bozhkov's previous behavior does not give grounds to assume that he will not do it again and obstruct the cases against him.
The requested reasons for travel also turned out to be dubious - the accused former gambling boss did not provide a single medical document for an urgent procedure in a hospital abroad that could not be performed in Bulgaria, but instead requested to "take care of real estate" in Greece.
Reasons for the appeal
In the reasons for its appeal, the prosecutor's office once again recalls that in 2023 Bozhkov did not surrender voluntarily, but was extradited by the authorities in the United Arab Emirates, which is indicative of a serious and sustained risk of him fleeing justice.
This is clear from an official communication through Interpol channels, confirming that Bozhkov was wanted and returned to our country with the assistance of the authorities in Abu Dhabi.
A significant part of the arguments for Bozhkov's refusal to travel is the lack of specific medical grounds for the requested travel. Despite the defense's claims that
Bozhkov needs treatment abroad, no medical documents have been presented
indicating a deterioration in his health, nor data on specialists, medical institutions or a specific country in which he would be treated.
The last reason cited in the court hearing, for which there was no document, was cataracts or otherwise senile cataracts, which Bozhkov wanted to treat in France, despite the many options available in Sofia.
No documents have been submitted regarding the deterioration of his condition or other diagnoses that would require him to leave the country. A week before the trial, however, he requested permission to travel to Greece on the grounds of "taking care of real estate", which once again raises doubts about the real reasons for leaving the country, writes Blits.