Varna mayor faces court as bribery case heats up
A judge from the Varna District Court has ordered the transfer of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev from a Sofia detention facility to one in Varna. Judge Svetla Daskalova also scheduled an open court hearing to consider defense requests for altering the mayor’s custody measure.
The case was reassigned to the Varna court following a decision by the Supreme Court of Cassation. The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office had previously indicted Kotsev and four other individuals, including municipal councilors and a businessperson, for allegedly forming a criminal group to solicit bribes.
The indictment accuses the group of influencing public procurement contracts from July 2024 through May of this year, demanding a percentage of the contract values. The case also involves an unnamed member of the 51st National Assembly.
