site.btaUPDATED Former Gambling Business Mogul Vassil Bojkov Remanded in Custody, Plans to Appeal

The Sofia City Court Saturday decided that businessman Vassil Bojkov must remain in custody. The decision is not final, and Bojkov told reporters he would appeal it.

Earlier in the day, the Sofia City Prosecution Office asked the court to remand Bojkov in custody for one of the three cases against him - the one related to his gambling business. In that investigation, Bojkov is accused of leading an organized crime group, which has allegedly been active since 2014 and was involved in extortion, bribery, money laundering and malfeasance in office. 

According to judge Hristinka Koleva, there is enough evidence on the case that the businessman has committed the crimes he is accused of. The Sofia City Court wants Bojkov to remain in custody as he might go into hiding. 

Former gambling mogul and oligarch Vassil Bojkov returned to Bulgaria from Dubai on August 25, after spending three years in the United Arab Emirates avoiding Bulgarian justice. He arrived in Sofia by air after announcing his return earlier in the day in a Facebook post. Upon arrival, he was detained for 72 hours. 

Emerging from the court room on Saturday, Bojkov described as "nonsense" the prosecution's claims that he had exchanged messages with Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Bojkov's lawyer, Georgi Gatev, told reporters that this is the first time he is hearing such things and cannot find a connection with the case, which is for gambling activity. In his words, it is unclear how and when these things have been included in the case: stories about Crimea, the war in Ukraine, Africa. Gatev refused to reply to BTA's question who exactly is interested in Bojkov being in custody. "The way the events of the last days are being covered shows that someone clearly is interested," Gatev commented. The United Arab Emirates have special traditions, and no one can say why until now that country would not allow Bojkov to return to Bulgaria, he noted, adding that the authorities there do not give explanations to anyone.

Prosecutor Angel Kunev told reporters that the link with Prigozhin is from the evidence on the case. Asked by BTA how it is established that the messages were truly sent to Prigozhin, and not someone else with a fake name, Kunev said that was established through witness testimonies, technical and accounting expert opinions.