Residents of Sungurlare and Belitsa gather for a silent protest in front of the Burgas Courthouse in support of mayors Dimitar Gavazov and Radoslav Revanski. The two are appealing the most severe measure of detention “detention“.
The Court of Appeal in Burgas is considering the appeals of the mayor of Sungurlare and the mayor of Belitsa. The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the magistrates' decision will be final.
The charges are related to public procurement
Gavazov and Revanski are accused of participating in a criminal conspiracy for the purpose of trading in influence together with Hristo Shirokov, regional coordinator of the MRF in Burgas.
According to the prosecutor's office, the alleged scheme is related to public procurement worth a total of nearly 7 million euros. The contractors were asked to pay commissions between 25 and 35 percent of the amounts received, the state prosecution claims.
What did the first instance court decide
On October 22, the Burgas District Court ordered the two mayors to be "detained in custody." The third defendant in the case, Hristo Shirokov, was placed under house arrest.
The defense of Gavazov and Revanski is demanding lighter measures of detention. The two remain in custody pending the ruling of the Court of Appeal, and the charges against them have not been proven guilty.