The investigation into the Sunny Beach incident takes a new turn: The charges against Nikola Burgazliev are reclassified after a positive marijuana test
Burgas - The investigation into the serious road accident in Sunny Beach, in which five people, including three children, were injured, has taken a dramatic turn. The results of the chemical and toxicological examination of 18-year-old Nikola Burgazliev, the accused in the case, show the presence of traces of marijuana in his blood and urine. This was announced at a special briefing by the district prosecutor of Burgas, Georgi Chinev, who stressed that this new fact gives grounds for the charges to be reclassified as an intentional crime.
New evidence and potential consequences
According to Prosecutor Chinev, the reclassification of the charges is based on the discovered narcotic substances. He specified that in the event of a fatal outcome for the woman who is still in the hospital, the competent authority for the case will be the District Prosecutor's Office of Burgas. For the further course of the investigation, Chinev and investigator Marian Marinov from the National Investigation Service (NIS) held a meeting with the acting Prosecutor General, Borislav Sarafov, who had also met with relatives of the victims earlier today.
Investigator Marinov revealed new details from the evidence collected so far. The investigators have obtained video recordings that provide a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the incident. These recordings will be subjected to video technical expertise. In addition, the girl who was riding with Burgazliev has already given a statement and is scheduled to be officially questioned. To ensure the objectivity of the investigation, the NIS has taken responsibility for the storage of the ATV with which the crime was committed.
Chronology of a scandalous incident and public discontent
The incident, which caused a wide public outcry, occurred on August 14 in the Sunny Beach resort complex when five people, including three children, were hit by an electric vehicle driven by the 18-year-old. The press center of the University Multiprofile Hospital in Burgas announced that a young child and a woman were admitted to the intensive care unit.
After the initial detention of the young man, it became clear that his parents were employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which gave rise to serious suspicions and speculation about a possible cover-up of facts. On this occasion, the director of "Security Police and Traffic Police_q at the Burgas Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Commissioner Marin Dimitrov, announced the start of an internal investigation.
Public tension escalated on August 18, when the court in Nessebar set a measure of restraint for Burgazliev as "house arrest_q. This decision, which was protested by the District Prosecutor's Office, caused a wave of protests in Burgas, Sofia, and Plovdiv. Photos and videos from the demonstrations showed angry citizens demanding justice and a harsher punishment for the perpetrator.
In response to public pressure and to ensure an impartial investigation, on August 21, the acting Prosecutor General, Borislav Sarafov, requested the pre-trial proceedings from the Burgas Prosecutor's Office and assigned the investigation to the NIS. Two days later, on August 22, the District Court in Burgas changed Burgazliev's measure of restraint to the most severe one – "detention in custody_q.
On August 25, the Ministry of Internal Affairs also began a second internal investigation into the actions of the police authorities and officials in the case. The order was issued by Chief Commissioner Zahari Vaskov, director of the General Directorate "National Police_q, on the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Daniel Mitov, as a sign of the state's serious attitude towards this incident.