site.btaTwo More Counts Added to Sofia Ex-Deputy Mayor's Charge Sheet

Two more charges have been pressed against former Sofia deputy mayor Nikola Barbutov, his lawyer Ina Lulcheva told journalists here on Tuesday, on her way out of the National Investigation Service.

According to one of the charges, Barbutov, 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, Lulcheva explained. She argued that there is no evidence that such documents have been drawn up at all and whether the terms were easy or not.

According to the other new charge, Barbutov exceeded his authority together with Rafailov by suggesting experts to help the borough mayors, the lawyer explained.

Lulcheva insisted that there was no reason for bringing such charges because the experts had been sent to advise the Mladost and Lyulin mayors at the latter's own request. 

On June 24, 2025 Anti-Corruption Commission officers searched Sofia City Hall following reports that the Lyulin and Mladost mayors and two municipal councillors had come under pressure. Deputy Mayor for European Policies, International Affairs and Tourism Nikola Barbutov left City Hall under police escort. On the following day, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev removed Barbutov from office.

On June 25, the Sofia Prosecution Office charged 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 established 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.

Barbutov was detained for up to 72 hours on a prosecutor's warrant, and on June 3 the Sofia Appellate Court ordered him and Rafailov remanded in custody indefinitely.