site.btaEmbattled Gambling Mogul Vassil Bozhkov Charged with Two More Crimes, to Add up to 11 Charges

February 13 (BTA) - Two more charges have been pressed
against the embattled gambling mogul Vassil Bozhkov. The
spokesperson of the Prosecutor General, Siika Mileva, told a
news briefing on Thursday that he has also been charged with
trading in influence and unlawful possession of cultural
valuables. 

Considered to be the wealthiest Bulgarian with assets worth
between 1.5 and 3 billion leva, Bozhkov was first charged with
leading an organized crime group, coercion, extortion, attempted
 bribery of an official and incitement to malfeasance in office.
 Several days later the law-enforcers said they are also probing
 him for murder and rapes.

They, however, don't have him as he fled the country days before
 the first charges were brought against him. He is currently in
the United Arab Emirates. He was remanded in custody there and 
Bulgaria will try to bring him back.

The Prosecutor General's spokesperson explained Thursday that
the application for his extradition is over 200 pages long and
by the end of this week the Prosecution Office will have a
translation of the document is Arabic and send it to the Justice
 Ministry to forward it to the competent authorities in the UAE.
 

The prosecution service has also pressed charges against
Bozhkov's aides and the two last chairpersons of the State
Gambling Commission, who are believed to have provided an
umbrella for the gambling tycoon. NV/LN/
 

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