Bulgarian Court Leaves 1 'Killer' in Jail

One of the five men arrested during the "Killers" police operation was left behind bars because of attempted murder of Kamen Balbuzanov, aka The Cop. Photo by BGNES

The court in the Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo has decided to leave in jail one of the five detainees in the special police operation “the Killers”.

Georgi Petkov, aka Dachi, was busted together with four other men as part of a group of paid assassins over the murder of controversial football club president Yuriy Galev in June 2010.

On Friday, the Court of Appeals in Veliko Tarnovo confirmed the ruling of the district court in the Bulgarian city of Pleven and decided to keep behind bars Petkov, who was accused of attempting murder of Kamen Balbuzanov, aka Kukata (“The Cop”), a large-scale drug lord controlling the cocaine trade and much of local life in the northern city of Pleven.

According to the magistrates from Veliko Tarnovo, the gathered evidence was enough to prove that the detained tried to attempt a murder on November 20, 2009.

The court has also decided that Petkov might abscond or commit another crime.

The “Killer” might face from 15 to 20 years imprisonment, life imprisonment or life imprisonment without parole.

The ruling of the Court of Appeals cannot be appealed.

Petkov is also under investigation for a murder attempt of Ivaylo Paunov in 2005 in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna.

Ivaylo Paunov, aka Giovannito, is known for his involvement in car theft rings in Spain. In 2005, he was shot in his own disco club “Soho”. A former Miss Varna model, Mihaela Mircheva, who was with him, was also wounded in the assassination attempt. Giovannito's wife and son were shot in Varna in December 2009.

Georgi Petkov, aka Dachi, is one of the five men arrested as part of a paid assassins group. He was released on bail together with three of the other “Killers” on August 3, with a court decision that caused a renewed war of words between the judiciary and the Interior Ministry.

Subsequently, on August 9, Dachi was arrested and left in jail on suspicions of trying to carry out the murder of Kamen Balbuzanov.