Three former high-ranking Interior Ministry officials have been sentenced to seven years in prison under a "strict" initial regime for the large-scale theft of tobacco products. The final verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court of Cassation on August 14, the Prosecutor's Office announced.
Among those convicted are E. H., who served as head of the Economic Crime Counteraction Sector at the Pleven Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, and I. D., who worked as a junior traffic controller for the Traffic Police. The third defendant is D. M., a former head of the 02 Regional Police Department in Pleven and acting director of the Pleven Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior.
The crime concerns the theft of 382,134 packs of cigarettes of various brands. The goods had been impounded as physical evidence in a pre-trial proceeding, and their total value amounts to 2,364,251.95 BGN.
The investigation was initially led by the Pleven District Prosecutor's Office, but was transferred to the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office by a decree from the Prosecutor General. At the first instance, the Pleven District Court imposed 10-year prison sentences, which were later reduced to seven years by the Veliko Tarnovo Appellate Court.