The adult of the two young men accused of beating two Nepalese citizens in Plovdiv was present at the murder of 37-year-old Georgi Kuzev on the Youth Hill. This became clear from the words of the Deputy District Prosecutor of Plovdiv Plamen Pantov during a briefing.
The two young men - aged 18 and 17 - are accused of causing minor bodily harm to two citizens of Nepal for hooliganism. The attack took place on the night of July 25 in the area of the boulevards “Ruski“ and “Shesti septembri“. According to the prosecutor's office, they attacked the two foreigners without provocation, striking them with their hands and feet on the head and body.
Their connection with the investigation into the murder of Georgi Kuzev was established precisely in the course of this investigation. During procedural and investigative actions, a video recording of the beating of the Nepalese citizens was found on the phone of one of the accused. Investigators also established contacts between the two and the minors accused of the murder of Kuzev.
When asked whether the two were involved in the Youth Hill case, the prosecutor's office specified that they could not comment on their involvement, as the murder is being investigated by the District Prosecutor's Office. However, the prosecutor confirmed that the adult of the two was present at the murder of Georgi.
„I cannot comment on their participation. One was present“, he said. When asked which of the two was at the scene, the prosecutor indicated: “The adult.“
He added that at the moment there is no information that can be publicly announced whether the 18-year-old participated directly in the beating of Georgi.
The two young men have been detained by a prosecutor's order - the adult for up to 72 hours, and the minor - up to 48 hours. The prosecutor's office is about to ask the court to impose a permanent measure of “detention“ on them.
The two defendants have exercised their right not to give explanations. They have not expressed any regret for what happened.
There are video recordings in the case that show the attack on the Nepalese citizens themselves. Investigators are still trying to figure out who filmed the videos, when they were made, and how they were distributed. The attack was initially reported to 112 by random citizens, and then to the Second District Police Department by the victims themselves.
At the moment, there is no evidence that the two young men have had previous criminal records or police records. However, the prosecutor's office is checking whether they are connected to other similar acts.
“The investigation is about to be expanded to include other similar acts,“ the prosecutor's office said. It is being checked whether the two men had committed other attacks before the attack on the Nepalese citizens.
The medical examination of the victims is not yet ready. According to preliminary data, they suffered minor injuries, but the examination must establish the type, extent, and nature of the injuries. This will also determine whether the charges against the two will be refined or a more serious charge will be raised.
Today, the prosecutor's office will submit a request to the District Court for the permanent arrest of the two defendants.