Bulgaria: Prosecutors Seek Permanent Arrest for Varna Mayor and Associates

The Prosecutor's Office has formally requested the permanent detention of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev. Alongside him, municipal councilors from the "We Continue the Change" (WCC) party, Yordan Kateliyev and Nikolay Stefanov, as well as businessman Ivaylo Marinov, are also the subject of custody requests. The petition has been submitted to the Sofia City Court, which is expected to schedule a hearing on the matter.

All four men are charged with being part of an organized criminal group accused of corruption, abuse of office, and money laundering. According to investigators, the alleged criminal group operated between June and November 2024. The prosecution claims that the group engaged in illicit activities tied to public procurement and misuse of municipal authority.

In particular, Kotsev, Kateliyev, and Stefanov are alleged to have demanded a bribe amounting to 15 percent of a public procurement contract worth just over 1.5 million leva. The contract in question concerned the preparation and delivery of food to a Home for Adults in Varna and dates back to August 2024.

The Sofia City Court will now consider the request for "detention in custody" for all four individuals as the investigation into the allegations continues.