„I can assure you with absolute certainty that the leading factor in public procurement is the lowest price. These are strangely fabricated accusations that I don't know what they are based on“, Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev told the court, quoted by bTV.
„I am convinced of my rightness. I have small children - one is 50 days old, and I simply want to be with them. I believe that justice will prevail“, Kotsev said.
The Sofia City Court is deciding whether to keep the mayor of Varna in custody. The municipal councilors from “We Continue the Change” were also detained with him Nikolay Stefanov and Yordan Keteliev and businessman Ivaylo Marinov.
All four defendants were brought to the Courthouse this morning. The major delay, however, came from the fact that the state prosecution had written a new indictment against all four in the early afternoon.
The phrase “unknown MP“ was added to the previously known indictment. It later became clear that it was Assen Vassilev.
According to the testimony of Plamenka Dimitrova, which the prosecutor's office read in the hall during the hearing, it became clear that he was the fifth suspect.
A comment followed by Assen Vassilev, who stated that he would waive his immunity when the Prosecutor General asked him to. He also said that he would sue Plamenka Dimitrova for defamation.
“I have neither taken money, nor has Blago Kotsev taken money, nor is the party financed in this way. I am giving myself immunity so that this can be investigated, but much more importantly, I will convict Ms. Plamenka“, said Asen Vassilev.