Bulgaria Mafia Bosses Trial Hits New Snag

Bulgaria's mobster brothers, Krassimir and Nikolay Marinov, has been practically frozen for two years. Photo by BGNES

After two years of procrastination a Bulgarian court has given the go-ahead to the trial of Bulgaria's mobster brothers, Krassimir and Nikolay Marinov, only to hit a new snag.

One of the defendants Ivo Karageorgiev, whose failure to turn up in court led to the repeated postponement of the trial, finally appeared in court on Thursday, saying he is taking a huge risk.

Prosecutors however have failed to attract medical experts to make an assessment of the health condition of the defendant.

Sofia city prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov said he had sent letters to the Alexandrovska hospital, the hospital of the Interior Ministry and the Military Medical Academy with a request to pick experts, but they are apparently boycotting the trial.

In a bid to push through the trial, prosecutors have turned to the Health Minister.

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.