Money Laundering Case against Alleged Drug Lord Brendo Fails to Proceed

Bulgaria’s Supreme Court of Cassation on 25^th of September failed to proceed with the money laundering case against Evelin Banev - Brendo.

Banev, his step-brother, his ex wife and her sister were accused of participating in a crime ring which was invloved in the laundering of over 20 million BGN of drug-traficking proceeds.

The case reached the last instance court for the second time after the two sides were not satisfied with the Bulgarian Court of Appeal’s ruling. In March 2017, the Court of Appeals sentenced Brendo to 6 years in prison, Simo Kraychevf (Brendo’s stepbrother) to 3 years in prison. The other two defendants, Brendo’s ex-wife Monika Dobrinova and her sister Dessislava Dishlieva were fully acquitted.

On 25^th of September, the trial was postponed for November as Dishlieva’s lawyer sent a sick note. None of the defendants were present in the court room as they are not obliged to appear before the Supreme Court of Cassation.

According to media reports from 10 days ago, Banev was sentenced in Italy to 20-years of impriosonment for drug trafficking in the case known as “Cocaine Kings”. In Bulgaria, the authorities have not so far confirmed whether they have official information about the ruling of the Italian court.

Banev has also been sentenced by a Romanian Court to 10 and a half years in prison for cocaine trafficking.