Court terminates proceedings due to ambiguities in the indictment
The Varna Court of Appeal has made a final decision to terminate the court proceedings against the Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, municipal councilors Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov, businessman Ivaylo Marinov, and Antoaneta Petrova. The case is being returned to the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPO) due to serious flaws in the indictment.
The court emphasized that the ambiguities in the indictment violate the defendants' right to a defense.
- Lack of specificity: The time, place, and manner of the criminal conspiracy are not clearly stated.
- Unclear objectives: The wording regarding "pecuniary benefit" is vague – it is not specified whether it is for personal gain or for financing a political campaign.
- Procedural violations: There is no description of the specific participation of each defendant, which makes the accusation unclear.
According to the magistrates, these violations are remediable but substantial, as they prevent the defendants from effectively organizing their defense. They cannot be corrected through interpretation by the court.
We remind you that the case consists of 70 volumes of materials and includes witnesses with secret identities. After numerous procedural twists, including a suspension due to the immunity of some of the accused, the judicial act is final and not subject to appeal.