Belitsa and Sungurlare: Court remands both mayors in custody
The DPS mayors remain in custody on suspicion of conspiring to trade in influence. A prosecutor in Burgas says contracts worth almost 7 million euros are being investigated.
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A court in Burgas on Thursday evening ordered the mayors of Belitsa and Sungurlare to remain in custody, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported. The ruling is not final and can be appealed before the Court of Appeal. Prosecutors accuse the two mayors and the DPS regional leader in Burgas of a criminal conspiracy to trade in influence. Investigators say the alleged scheme began in Sungurlare municipality in early 2024 and lasted more than two years. All suspects are presumed innocent.
According to prosecutors, each had a defined role: the party official allegedly found the companies, the mayor of Belitsa helped secure funding and the mayor of Sungurlare influenced municipal staff involved in choosing contractors. The organised crime directorate GDBOP and the State Agency for National Security (DANS) had earlier searched administrative buildings and private addresses and seized public procurement documents.
Burgas regional prosecutor Georgi Chinev told BNT that several contracts worth nearly 7 million euros were under investigation. “This investigation is at its initial stage,” he said. If evidence points to others being involved, prosecutors will not hesitate to charge them too. Outside the courthouse in Burgas, supporters of the two mayors surrounded the prison van and chanted their nicknames, while police formed a cordon.