New Charges filed Against Former sofia deputy mayor
Sofia, Bulgaria – Two additional accusations have been leveled against former Sofia Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov, according to his lawyer, Ina Lulcheva, following an appearance at the National Inquiry Service (NLS) today. The charges relate to alleged attempts to influence public procurement processes in the lyulin and Mladost districts of Sofia.
The new allegations center on claims that Barbutov, working wiht businessman Petar Rafailov, offered assistance to the mayors of Lyulin, Georgi Todorov, and mladost, Ivaylo Kukurin, to prepare public procurement documents favoring specific companies. Lulcheva emphasized that no evidence has been presented to demonstrate the actual preparation of such documents or the securing of preferential terms. A second accusation alleges an abuse of power by Barbutov and Rafailov in offering expert assistance to the district mayors.
Lulcheva contested the timing of the new charges, stating the facts regarding support offered to the mayors were already known since June. She clarified that any expert assistance provided to the mayors of Mladost and Lyulin was reportedly requested by the mayors themselves, specifically regarding public procurement procedures.
The developments come after the Sofia Court of Appeal’s June 3rd decision to uphold the detention of both Barbutov and Rafailov. Lulcheva also briefly addressed the case of detained Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, her client, noting a delay in the prosecution sending his case to court, hindering her ability to file a request for a change in his measure of restraint as required by law.
