Bulgaria Illegal Land Swapping Case Postponed

Bulgaria Ex Head of Forestry may face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of illegal land swapping, photo by BGNES

A Bulgarian court postponed the case against the country's former head of the State Forestry Agency, Stefan Yurukov, who is charged with illegal land swaps.

Due to a prior engagement in the Sofia City Court, on Friday, Yurokov's lawyer, Ina Lulcheva, has asked the court to put off the case of the ex head of Bulgaria's State Forestry Agency till a later date.

Lulcheva is a high-profile attorney. She defends energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki investigated on tax evasion charges and Bulgaria's jailed ex secret agent Alexei Petrov among others.

The next court hearing has been rescheduled for May 18 when Lulcheva will have to present written proof of her other engagement.

The Bulgarian Ex Head of the State Forestry is accused of swapping two state plots with a total area of 24,117 decares in the area of the southeastern Bulgarian coastal town of Sozopol and a plot in the northeastern town of Nessebur with a total area of 7,435 decares as well as three plots in the region of the Varna municipality.

Bulgaria's ex Deputy Interior Minister Yavor Haytov is also accused of playing a major part in the Varna scam.

The illegal swaps in Nessebur and Varna alone have cost the state a total loss of about BGN 5 M.

If found guilty of illegal land swapping, Yurukov may face of up to ten years in prison.

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