The court in Varna rejected the request of the mayor of the city, Blagomir Kotsev, and his defense to change his detention measure to a lighter one and he remains in custody. The magistrates' motives remain unchanged from previous decisions - according to the court, there is no danger that the Varna mayor will abscond, but there is a real risk that he will commit a new crime. From his position as mayor, Kotsev has access to documents related to the investigation, which, according to the court, requires maintaining the strict measure.
The new element in the process is the questioning of a protected witness with a secret identity, reports Nova TV. This is a foreign investor who asked to remain anonymous due to fears for his life. The prosecutor's office indicates that the investor has the necessary documents for three projects, but the latest permits are being delayed. According to his story, Kotsev's team explained to him that he had to provide 20 thousand leva for each set of documents.
“The witness was questioned yesterday. At his request, a defense was taken, in which he outlined his concerns and fear for the lives of himself and his loved ones“, explained Deputy City Prosecutor Angel Kanev.
The mayor's lawyer, Nikolay Vladimirov, specified that the interrogated person was Russian-speaking and used an interpreter, and he himself did not claim that he had given a bribe. “This was untrue. He says that he was asked for it, but he did not give such a bribe“, the defense attorney added.
However, the prosecution emphasized that the witness indicated specific amounts, the dates and places where he was asked for money, as well as how many times he was made such requests.
The case continues with the accumulation of evidence and the interrogation of key individuals, and the decision on the preventive measure remains valid until the next hearing.
The court's decision is not final and the defense of the Varna mayor can appeal to the appellate court.