Varna Officials Remain Detained as โฃCourt Focusesโ on Mayor’sโค Case
Varna, Bulgaria – Requests for review of โฃthe โฃdetention measures forโ Varna councilors โNikolay stefanov and Yordan โคKateliev haveโฃ not been filed with the court, meaning a hearing will โฃproceed today solely regarding the detention of Mayor Blagomir Kotsev. The hearing is scheduled โขfor 10:30 am.
The Varnaโค mayor’s officeโค stated the defense teamโค for all three men appearsโค to be pursuing a unified legal strategy,โ suggesting requests for the release of Stefanov and Kateliev might potentially be submitted atโ a laterโ date. The three were arrested on July 8th following allegations made by businesswoman Plamenka Dimitrova concerning a โpublic procurement request.
A protest is โคplanned today in โfront of the Sofia โCity Court, drawingโ participants from both โSofia and Varna, demanding what protestors consider “fair justice” – the โrelease ofโข the mayor and the two councilors.
The prosecutor’s office submitted a request to change Kotsev’s restraining order last โFriday, a move hisโฃ lawyer, Inna Lulcheva, characterized as significantly delayed, stating theโค defense had filed their request earlier. Kotsev’s party, Political Power (PP), and the two councilors held โคa protest in response, and โขreportedly โthreatened action against the โฃprosecutor’sโ office and anti-corruption committee if further delays occurred.
Ivaylo Marinov, a fourth individual arrested in connection with the case and linked to businessman Angelโ Dermendzhiev, has been released.Dian Ivanov, Kotsev’s โคchildhood friend andโ former deputy mayor, initially testified against Kotsevโ but later claimed the testimony was given โขunder duress, a claim he later walked back, stating last week he had not been questioned โabout pressure.
