Charges against Arrested Mladost Mayor Based on Data from Surveillance Devices

The Prosecutor's Office will decide on 19^th of April whether remand in custiody should be sought for the mayor of Sofia Mladost district Dessislava Ivancheva and for the other two detained. The head of the specialized Prosecutor’s Office, Ivan Geshev, told BNT that sufficient evidence had been gathered before proceeding to Ivancheva's arrest. Lawyers Ivo Naydenov and Lyudmil Rangelov described the arrest as unnecessarily spectacular.

According to the head of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office Ivan Geshev, the indictment against the mayor of Mladost is based on special intelligence devices and it is difficult to believe in the defence thesis that the money was deliberately placed in the vehicle.

Ivan Geshev, Head of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office has said it is not serious to say that someone would throw 70,000 euros. The whole process is documented with SpeiclaI Intelligence Devices.

Desislava Ivancheva stayed more than 4 hours with handcuffs at a junction in the centre of Sofia in a rush hour and this caused controversial comments.

Ivan Geshev, Head of the Specialised Prosecutor's Office: We have taken detention action so we do not lose the money. we stopped it at the first moment we were able to hold them and we were sure they took the money.

According to lawyers Ivo Naydenov and Lyudmil Rangelov, it was possible to choose another place for Ivancheva's detention as well as for the banknote counting.

Lawyer Ivo Naydenov says that the counting of the money in question could have taken place somewhere else and again be in the presence of the defence of the detained person. It was not necessary to stand on the boulevard and make flms.

Lawyer Ludmil Rangelov says that handcuffing is an exceptional measure. And does not look serious. This is a substance (used to mark the money) penetrates very deep in the skin and is very difficult to clean.

Because of the full co-operation of the intermediary who made a confession, he may be released.