Protesters against the detention of Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev gathered last night in front of the Courthouse in the capital and marched to the old building of the National Assembly, NOVA reported. They then headed to the monument to Vasil Levski, where they laid flowers.
Earlier, the Sofia Court of Appeal decided that the mayor of Varna and municipal councilors from the PP-DB Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov should remain in custody.
A response followed from the PP-DB, which announced a protest under the slogan “You don't have handcuffs for everyone”.
The protest ended at 9 p.m.
The protest in Varna was in front of the municipality. People demanded the immediate release of the mayor. And last night, a procession was expected to set off to the Courthouse in the city, where the demonstration would continue.
Amid the protests in defense of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, a new public procurement for food has been announced in the Varna municipality - the same one that sparked the corruption scandal. The electronic public procurement website makes it clear that the participants are again Plamenka Dimitrova's company, as well as that of businessman Ivaylo Marinov, who was released last night with a signature. The two companies may participate together in the form of a framework agreement. The estimated value of the announced public procurement this time is 4,739,041 leva.
On Thursday evening, the Court of Appeal decided that there is evidence of participation in a criminal group for bribery, official misconduct and money laundering against Kotsev and the two municipal councilors Nikolay Stefanov and Yordan Kateliev. Only the fourth defendant, businessman Ivaylo Marinov, was released from custody, who is free on bail.
Around midnight, after a 10-hour hearing, Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev was taken out of the courtroom to be taken back into custody. According to the court, the municipal councilors played an active role in the criminal group for bribery, official crimes and money laundering, while the mayor played a more peripheral role.
„This decision is a shame for the judges' guild. During the session itself, there was no disclosure of the SRC, but there was a statement from the prosecutor that there were SRCs in the case, but they did not have time during these 6 months to be reproduced on paper”, said Nikolay Vladimirov, lawyer for Blagomir Kotsev.
The court accepted the testimony of the former deputy mayor of Varna Dian Ivanov with criticism, but did not exclude them despite the statement that he was withdrawing them, since they were given under pressure. Ivanov deleted from his Facebook profile and the post that he had withdrawn his testimony before the Anti-Corruption Commission.
„It was not applied to the materials in the case. The prosecutor's office pretended that this did not exist. They were obliged to question this witness. Why didn't they do it? In my opinion, purely intentionally”, said lawyer Vladimirov.
The group of detainees also included businessman Ivaylo Marinov. He is a partner in the commercial company that won the public procurement contract lost by the main witness in the Plamenka Dimitrova case. However, the court did not find evidence of complicity and released him with the lightest measure “submission”. Hours later, Marinov left for Varna.
“There is no evidence in the case that could incriminate him in any way, that he participated together with the other three individuals in an organized criminal group”, said Ivan Tomov, lawyer for Ivaylo Marinov.
The decision of the Court of Appeal was booed in the courtroom by supporters and fellow party members of the PP-DB, who came to the hall to support the detainees. And after the hearing, they announced a new protest.
“We live in a conquered country. I call on all free citizens to come to the protest to show that the state cannot be governed by two fists that can take over any system”, said Kiril Petkov.
The court's decision is final.
The ruling and opposition parties leveled accusations at each other. The PP sharply criticized both the prosecutor's office and the court, accusing them of dependence.
„We see an attempt by „DPS-New Beginning” to take control of the entire party system and use what it has already taken control of, namely the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Prosecutor's Office and some carefully selected court formations, to deal with all the free people in the country and have sole power that is exercised when Peevski calls someone on the phone”, said Asen Vassilev.
Their partners from the DB announced that they would submit a proposal to close the Commission for Combating Corruption.
„A body that duplicates the prosecutor's office in investigative functions, which determines its own jurisdiction, chooses its own court for proceedings, is a repressive body”, said Atanas Slavov.
From the ruling party, only the ITN commented on the topic, which recalled the participants in the Judicial Reform and, in turn, filed an accusation against the PP-DB.
“The brazen and disgusting statements of people who showed with their actions what they want to turn such agencies and independent institutions into. Because all these steps over the years - from the ideas for Boyko Rashkov, to the separation, to the PVU, to giving investigative functions - all this was done with the aim, while they are governing this institution, to turn it into a baton against their inconvenient opponents. And today, when they are out of power, they stand and cry about untenable and non-existent things at the moment”, said Stanislav Balabanov.
The rest of the opposition also joined the dispute.
“When Peevski's prosecutor's office and Peevski's court hit a person from the PP-DB, this is a very big problem. When this same Peevski prosecutor's office demands the immunities of deputies from "Vazrazhdane", it is not a problem, this is supported by the PP-DB", said the leader of "Vazrazhdane" Kostadin Kostadinov.
"What is happening is 100% a bludgeoning of the authorities, so that the inconvenient ones can be broken, so that they can go to them and measures that correspond to the crime are not used", said the leader of "Velicie" Ivelin Mihaylov.
“This commission, which is currently being called a bat, was created by Lena Borislavova with Borisov and Peevski”, commented Radostin Vassilev, chairman of MECH.
While the prime minister participated in the naval exercise “BRIZ” and the president was visiting the military plant “Arsenal”, the topic of the rule of law remained the main one. Both were asked how they saw the protests against the arrest of the Varna mayor.
“In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, there are two basic principles - the presumption of innocence and the independence of the judicial system. If we want to be a state governed by the rule of law, we must respect both principles”, said Rosen Zhelyazkov.
“I can say that the inadequate actions of the ruling party are increasing the division in society. Against this background, thousands of citizens are protesting against electoral justice. When law enforcement agencies mercilessly investigate the opposition, but remain completely silent about those in power”, said Rumen Radev.
According to the head of state, what is happening in our country is also visible from the outside.
„It will be increasingly difficult to lie to Europe about what is happening here, because we already see and everyone sees that democracy is a facade. The government is a decoration for the muzzle of Peevski and Borisov. And justice is selective”, said Radev. According to the president, the economic policy of the cabinet amounted to putting the country into a debt spiral and this was presented as a success.