site.btaProsecutor General Tsatsarov Describes Sunny Beach Shooting as Turf Battle

Prosecutor General Tsatsarov Describes Sunny Beach Shooting as Turf Battle

Bourgas, on the Black Sea, June 17 (BTA) - The June 8 shooting in the seaside resort of Sunny Beach was caused by a dispute over territory that brings in hefty profits from criminal activities, said here on Friday Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov during a news conference.

As BTA reported earlier, two more suspects have been arrested, who are charged with the attempted murder of underworld boss Dimiter Zhelyazkov, aka "Mityo the Eyes". He was severely wounded and hospitalized in critical condition, while his 46-year-old bodyguard was killed. Tsatsarov said the two were arrested Thursday evening.

Charges were brought against Georgi Ivanchev from the southwestern town of Doupnitsa and Radoslav Vesselinov Dimitrov from the northern city of Pleven. Tsatsarov said that both had shot at and hit Zhelyazkov. Charges have been brought against three persons so far. An hour after the shooting, the police caught Todor Slavov, who is charged with the murder of Zhelyazkov's bodyguard Alexander Alexandrov.

The Prosecutor General said that 84 witnesses have been questioned, 15 searches and seizures carried out, and 37 expert reports assigned so far as part of the investigation. Currently no one from Zhelyazkov's entourage has been detained.

Commenting the incident at a news conference here, Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova said that neither Zhelyazkov, nor criminal organizations in the region, enjoy political protection. This, however, does not rule out the existence of separate cases, she explained, adding they will be checked.