ITN leader Slavi Trifonov has posted a new Facebook statement on the "Petrohan-Okolchitsa" case, defending his decision to tear down the memorial plaque near the mountain pass and accusing journalist Lora Krumova. His figures don't match those given by prosecutors.
Trifonov claims the case rests on "150 expert reports." But at a briefing by prosecutors and the interior ministry on September 14, deputy appellate prosecutor Natalia Nikolova said only 95 expert reports were ready, with 12 more to come. Investigators have questioned 150 witnesses, carried out 40 site inspections and more than 10 searches.
In the post, Trifonov calls Ivaylo Kalushev, the man under investigation, a "pedophile killer" and says the evidence gathered rules out any other explanation. Nothing, he says, can clear Kalushev — or Vasil Terziev, Sasha Bezuhanova, Borislav Sandov, Nikolay Denkov and Andrey Gyurov, whom he accuses of "covering up the whole thing."
Trifonov wrote the post after comments about the briefing on Lora Krumova's show. He says she played down what investigators reported and looked for facts that favor Kalushev.
Trifonov also says he asked ChatGPT what penalties the US gives for sex crimes against children and was told about chemical castration in Louisiana. That's the source of his claim that pedophiles are chemically castrated there while in Bulgaria they walk free. Louisiana law does allow treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate for certain sex offenses, and since 2024 a separate law lets courts order surgical castration for serious crimes against children under 13.
A joint psychological, psychiatric, sexological and theological report looked at the group's behavior and relationships. Back in February, the Sofia district prosecutor's office said witnesses had given evidence of sexual contact with minors.
According to investigators' reconstruction, Kalushev shot the two young men below Okolchitsa peak, then killed himself. The evidence gathered so far shows no sign anyone else was involved in the deaths, prosecutors said.
The investigation isn't over, and prosecutors are still checking every lead. They are also tracing money flows involving people and companies linked to the men who died, have gained access to bank records, and are running tax checks along with a review of several organizations and the private school "Kosmos."