New Witness to Defend Bulgarian Ex Heating Utility Chief in Trial

Former head of Sofia's heating utility, Valentin Dimitrov, and his mother, Tsetsa Dimitrova, have been accused of money laundering. Photo by BGNES

The Sofia Court of Appeal has called a key witness from Croatia to testify in the case against the former head of Sofia's heating utility, Valentin Dimitrov.

Valentin Dimitrov, aka Valyo Toploto has been accused of embezzlement of around BGN 6 M. In 2009, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment and his property was confiscated.

For the same charges, another former head of Sofia's heating utility, Emil Antonov, and his depyty, Georgi Rogachev, were found not guilty.

The Croatian witness has been requested by the defense which claimed that he could prove that there was no embezzlement and Dimitrov was innocent.

According to prosecutors, Valentin Dimitrov together with managers Georgi Rogachev, Lila Ablanska, Maya Stoilova and Emil Antonov, caused losses to the company by buying luxury goods and spending company money on holidays. Dimitrov even installed a Jacuzzi in his office despite the troubled financial condition of the state owned company.

However, Lila Ablanska and Maya Stoilova were sentenced to 12 and 10 years in jail respectively. Half of their property will be confiscated, too.

There are two more trials against Dimitrov. One is for abeyance, and the other is for money laundering. Dimitrov's mother has also been charged for money laundering.

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