Bulgaria Mafia Bosses Trial Misfires Yet Again

The mobster brothers Krassimir and Nikolay Marinov AKA "the Marguins"are considered two of the most influential underworld figures in Bulgaria. Photo by BGNES

Sofia City Court postponed once again the case against Bulgaria's mobster brothers, Krassimir and Nikolay Marinov, due to the poor health condition of another defendant in the same trial - Ivo Karageorgiev.

Over the last two years several hearings have been postponed and rescheduled over the same reason - failure on the part of the defendant Ivo Karageorgiev to turn up in the court room due to serious illness.

Karageorgiev's attorney - Lyubomir Vladimirov stated before the Court that his client suffered a heart ailment, not allowing him to appear in person for legal proceedings. According to the lawyer, Karageorgiev's hearth condition could only be cured via bypass surgery, to which he should personally agree.

Vladimirov further stated that Ivo Karageorgiev's brother Svetlin, also a defendant in the trial, had the same heart condition and the decease ran in the family. Svetlin suddenly passed away in his home in August 2008.

The mobster brothers Krassimir and Nikolay Marinov AKA "the Marguins" are considered two of the most influential underworld figures in Bulgaria.

The Marguins were arrested in October 2005 over the alleged plot to murder the businessman Nikola Damyanov, retired general Lyuben Gotsev and underworld boss Ivan Todorov, nicknamed Doktora (the Doctor).

Ivan Todorov was shot dead in broad daylight in central Sofia on February 22, 2007, while the other alleged target, Nikola Damyanov died of a sudden hearth attack on his way to the hospital in October 2007.

The Marguins are also charged with illegal ownership of guns, participation in organized crime, and money laundering.

Each of the brothers was released on BGN 20,000 bail at the beginning of December 2007. Before the bail the Marguins were kept under home arrest.