Bulgarian Ex PM To be Examined on Reopened Murder Case

Crime | September 3, 2013, Tuesday // 09:35|  views

Boyko Borisov, former Bulgarian Prime Minister and leader of center-right party GERB, photo by BGNES

Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria's former Prime Minister, will be questioned by military prosecutors in connection with the reopened murder case of Todor Todorov AKA Chakara.

In June 2013, the investigation of the reopened case was moved from the Plovdiv-based Military Prosecutor's Office to the Sofia-based Military Prosecutor's Office, according to reports of the BGNES news agency.

Under a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, all counter-terrorism officers who participated in the notorious police operation for detaining Todor Todorov are to be questioned.

In November 2012, the European Court of Human Rights found Bulgaria guilty of failing to protect Todorov's right to life. He is a convict who was killed in a police operation, led by Borisov, who was Chief Secretary of the Interior at that time.

The case relates to events back in 2003 when businessman Todor Todorov AKA Chakara had to be detained to serve 6 months in prison for giving premises belonging to him to be used as а brothel.

Todorov, however, refused to surrender to the police, and instead barricaded himself in a villa near the southern Bulgarian town of Harmanli.

In the much-publicized police operation, led by Borisov, numerous heavily armed officers besieged Todorov's house.

The police and special units even used a grenade launcher against the house and caused a fire, which eventually resulted in the convict's death.

In its decision, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg determined that Bulgarian police had used excessive force against the convict and had failed to protect his right to life.

Police knew that Todorov was alone in the house. However, the operation included 55 regular police officers, 30 people from a special counter-terrorism unit, 19 border police officers, and 3 psychologists.

A Bulgarian military court investigation of the special police operation failed to find any breaches of procedure.

The official police version was that Todorov blew himself up with a hand grenade.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Bulgaria had to cover the court expenses amounting to EUR 5000 and to pay Todorov's widow and two sons EUR 50,000 in indemnities.

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Tags: Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister, Todor Todorov, Chakara, European Court of Human Rights, military prosecutor

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