site.btaCourt Tosses Case v. Sofia Ex-Deputy Mayor, Citing Faulty Indictment

In a ruling issued on Wednesday, the Sofia City Court (SCC) found material breaches of procedure in an indictment brought against former Sofia deputy mayor Nikola Barbutov and three co-defendants, referred it back to the prosecution for streamlining, and terminated the instant proceedings. The SCC ruling is appealable before the upper court.

Judge Petya Krancheva commented that "a number of remediable breaches of the rules of procedure have been committed, which have entailed a restriction of the rights of the accused." She specified that the charges against each of the defendants have not been clearly and accurately formulated with regard to the circumstances of the alleged offences. The breaches infringe on the defendants' right to defence, the judge added.

Prosecutor Iliyan Tochev told the media that, in his opinion, the indictment is adequate and that he will appeal the SCC ruling.

How the Case Has Progressed: Timeline

June 24, 2025: Anti-Corruption Commission officers search Sofia City Hall following reports that the Lyulin and Mladost borough mayors and two municipal councillors had come under pressure. Deputy Mayor for European Policies, International Affairs and Tourism Nikola Barbutov leaves City Hall under police escort. He is detained for up to 72 hours on a prosecutor's warrant.

June 25, 2025: Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev removes Barbutov from office.

June 25, 2025: The Sofia City Prosecution Office charges Barbutov and three other individuals with accepting bribes and participating in an organized crime group between early February and June 24, 2025. The group was allegedly formed for financial gain and included a public official. According to the charge preferred against Barbutov, on June 17 in Sofia, in his capacity as a public official, he promised the mayor of Lyulin a sum equivalent to 6% of the value of public procurement contracts awarded by that mayor in order to appoint specific associates of Barbutov as members of commissions under the Public Procurement Act during the selection of contractors and to declare certain companies designated by Barbutov as winners of the public procurement contracts.

September 2, 2025: Two more charges are pressed against Barbutov: first, that he, in complicity with co-accused businessman Petar Rafailov, offered borough mayors Georgi Todorov of Lyulin and Ivaylo Kukurin of Mladost to help them draw up documents for a public procurement with particular companies on easy terms; and second, that the ex-deputy mayor exceeded his authority together with Rafailov by suggesting experts to help the borough mayors.

September 18, 2025: The Sofia Appellate Court orders Barbutov and Rafailov remanded in custody indefinitely.

November 14, 2025: The Sofia City Prosecution Office indicts Barbutov alongside Rafailov, Mladost Borough expert Sonya Klisurska and former deputy mayor of Sofia's Lyulin Borough Rositsa Pandova.

November 26, 2025: Barbutov is conclusively released into house arrest.