A man identified by the initials E. T., a citizen of a country that borders Bulgaria, has been charged with the premeditated murder of Slavi Binev, Sofia City Prosecutor's Office spokesman Nikolay Nikolaev said today, 25 October. Based on the evidence so far, he acted alone.

Binev was shot yesterday at about 10:00am at his home on Reznyovete street in Sofia, near the Boyana Residence. The shooting was first reported to have happened in the Pavlovo district. One shot hit him in the face.

How the story began: Slavi Binev shot near the Boyana Residence, not in Pavlovo

The two other detainees have not been charged, because prosecutors say there is not enough evidence that they were involved. All three have been questioned.

The man charged will be held in custody for up to 72 hours. Prosecutors will ask the Sofia City Court to keep him in detention.

The motive is still being established, Nikolaev said. He said Binev and the accused certainly knew each other well and had business dealings. More witnesses will be questioned.

Investigators found a pistol they believe was used in the killing. It is legally owned, and an expert examination of the weapon has been ordered.

The three were detained yesterday near the Trayanovi Vrata tunnel, at the 54km mark of the Trakia motorway. At a briefing, Lyubomir Nikolov, acting chief secretary of the Interior Ministry, spoke about the arrests. He said two of the men have Turkish names and the third has a Bulgarian ID card.

Police found two weapons. One was thrown away just before the car carrying the detainees stopped, and the other was in a small bag belonging to one of them. Nikolov said initial information shows the second weapon is legally owned.