site.btaNikola "Paskal" Nikolov Faces Organized Crime Charges

Nikola "Paskal" Nikolov faces charges of participating in an organized crime group, smuggling and possession of excise goods, his lawyer Dimitar Markovski said on Friday. The offences match those brought against him by Serbian authorities and have not been amended.

Nikola “Paskal” Nikolov initiated the expedited process for his return to Bulgaria, assisted by his legal team, Dimitar Markovski said. Two judicial instances granted the Bulgarian authorities’ request for his extradition, and Nikolov formally declared his immediate consent to be handed over.

On Thursday, Nikolov was questioned by the Anti-Corruption Commission for over three hours, and Markovski confirmed that Nikolov provided testimony at the time.

Since August 27, Nikolov has been held in custody at a National Investigative Service facility in Sofia, according to his lawyer, Galya Galabova. He is detained under a prosecutor’s order for up to 72 hours, and the prosecution is expected to seek his permanent detention.

Markovski expressed hope that the prosecution would thoroughly review its position, as he believes there are no legal grounds for Nikolov’s detention. He pointed out that the prosecution is not authorized to submit such a request. Markovski noted that Nikolov spent four months in detention before being placed under house arrest as a result of the Bulgarian authorities' request.

Markovski also reported that Nikolov’s health had significantly worsened and that he traveled to Serbia to receive medical treatment. Nikolov left 15 days before the Customs Agency’s operation and the detention of the other suspects in the case.

Nikolov, former Customs Agency head Petya Bankova, Stefan Dimitrov, and Marin Dimitrov have been charged with participating in an organized crime group engaged in influence peddling, smuggling, and related offenses. Subsequently, former Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior Zhivko Kotsev was also charged for involvement in the same group alongside Bankova, Stefan Dimitrov, and Marin Dimitrov.

On July 18, the Sofia Appellate Court authorized the issuance of a European arrest warrant for Nikolov.

In February this year, the Belgrade Appellate Court granted Nikolov house arrest due to his health condition and the extended duration of his pretrial detention.

On December 6 of last year, the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office modified Stefan Dimitrov’s restrictive measure from pre-trial detention to bail due to the expiration of the maximum eight-month detention period. Dimitrov was released on his own recognizance.

On November 5 last year, Bankova faced a new smuggling charge. At present, she and Marin Dimitrov remain in custody.

Zhivko Kotsev was released on bail of BGN 20,000.