Nikola Barbutov, Former Deputy Mayor of Sofia, and His Adviser Petar Rafailov to Remain in Custody

Nikola Barbutov, former Deputy Mayor of Sofia, and his adviser Petar Rafailov will remain in custody following a ruling by the Sofia Court of Appeal on July 3. The two are accused of participating in an organised crime group involved in corruption and the offering of bribes.

The court hearing lasted nearly seven hours. Shortly after proceedings began, Barbutov’s defence team requested the recusal of the judicial panel. Attorney Ina Lulcheva argued that the case carries political overtones and that an impartial trial cannot be guaranteed. She reminded the court that the "We Continue the Change" party — with which Barbutov is affiliated — was behind the legislative proposal to abolish Bulgaria's specialised judiciary. Two of the three judges on the panel had previously expressed positions opposing the closure of the specialised courts.

Ultimately, one of the judges was replaced, after which the hearing continued.

During the sitting, it was also noted that the investigation is still in its early stages. Nevertheless, the Appellate Court found that the evidence presented allows for a well-founded presumption that the acts described by the prosecution were committed by the accused. According to the court, Barbutov had established a network of influence within local government, while Rafailov maintained direct contact with district mayors.

The ruling of the Sofia Court of Appeal is final and not subject to appeal.

***

On June 24, Sofia Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov was taken into custody as part of an investigation into alleged corruption. Two other municipal officials were also detained. A day later, Barbutov reportedly resigned from his post.

On June 25, several Bulgarian-language media outlets received a leaked audio recording,allegedly capturing a conversation between Barbutov and Todorov about the suspected procurement scheme.

In response to the unfolding scandal, Democratic Bulgaria, WCC’s coalition partner in the second-largest parliamentary group, publicly urged WCC to reassess its internal procedures and approach to political appointments.

The recording of the conversation between Sofia Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov and the mayor of the Lyulin district, Georgi Todorov—which ultimately led to the resignation of We Continue the Change (WCC) co-leader Kiril Petkov—was made by the Anti-Corruption Commission, BNT has learned.

The recording was obtained in the course of an ongoing corruption investigation within Sofia Municipality. According to sources, authorities were able to "penetrate" the mobile phones of WCC-affiliated district mayors. As a result, Todorov was placed under surveillance without his knowledge. The recording is expected to be included as evidence in the investigation.