“Go ahead, you’ll be paid!”: New Testimony in the Case Involving Journalist Sonya Koltuklieva

New witness testimony has emerged in the case involving journalist Sonya Koltuklieva. According to the defence lawyer for Martin Varadinov, the accused in the case, there is a witness who claims to have heard the words “Go ahead, you’ll be paid!” over the phone.

At first instance, the court ruled that Varadinov should remain at liberty without without any pretrial restrictions.

Sofia Military Court Releases NSP Officer Martin Varadinov from Custody

Prosecutor Natalia Stancheva challenged the reasoning of the first-instance court and asked that its ruling not be upheld. She said the evidence gathered so far provided grounds for a reasonable suspicion of Varadinov’s involvement in the alleged offence.

According to Varadinov’s lawyer, Tervel Georgiev, the accused did not push Koltuklieva, and the shoulder injury was not caused by him. There was also witness testimony that, immediately before the incident, Koltuklieva had been speaking on the phone and the words “Go ahead, you’ll be paid!” were heard.

The Military Court of Appeal is currently deciding whether to grant the military prosecutor’s request to overturn the first-instance court’s ruling and keep Varadinov in continuous custody.