Trial against Top Bulgarian Crime Boss to Start from Scratch

Zlatomir Ivanov aka Zlatko the Barret, alleged crime boss (C). Photo by BGNES

The trial against the alleged Bulgarian crime boss Zlatomir Ivanov is to start all over again because one of the jurors has been charged with child pornography.

Petar Georgiev, a juror in the long-running trial against Zlatomir Ivanov aka Zlatko Baretata (The Barret), was detained October 22 during a special police operation codenamed "Pedophiles."

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office has pressed official charges against him.

Georgiev is charged with distributing materials with pornographic content involving minors and is currently in custody, which does not allow him to further participate in the trial.

According to Petar Gunchev, the judge in the case, there is no possibility to continue the trial as it is, since this would raise a serious controversy about the final verdict.

Thus, the entire trial against Ivanov is to start from scratch November 22 , with all witnesses being questioned all over again.

Zlatomir Ivianov is charged with being the ringleader of an organized crime group dealing with illegal drug trafficking and with first-degree murder for the killing of Stefan Ivanov aka Alf, committed in a way that endangered the life of many people. The trail against the Barret started in May 2010.

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