site.btaCourt Leaves in Remand Evgenia and Nikolai Banev

125 HOME AFFAIRS - BANEV - PROSECUTION

Court Leaves
in Remand
Evgenia and Nikolai Banev


Sofia, December 7 (BTA) - The specialized court on Friday left in remand Nikolai and Evgenia Banev. The court's decision is appealable.

The two are the owners of the bankrupt inorganic chemicals
producer Polymeri AD and have been charged with money
laundering, gross tax evasion, embezzlement, mismanagement, and firearms possession among other offences.

The Banevs reviewed for five hours investigation materials that total nearly 120 volumes. The prosecution brought in six more volumes of evidence collected through special surveillance means.

In court Baneva described as "completely
absurd" a charge that the two had laundered over one billion
leva.

Nikolai Banev said that anyone possessing little economic
knowledge can estimate how many enterprises should be drained in order to launder one billion leva. Baneva said she participated in almost none of the companies.

Reacting to reports that the two wanted to flee from Bulgarian
justice, Baneva said they had intended to return to Bulgaria for
their children's holiday and for her birthday, and had booked
plane tickets for October 26. She said they did not want to live
as fugitives. She requested to be placed under house arrest in
order to take care of her underage children. She explained that
two days before they were arrested in France, she was informed that the Prosecutor's Office is looking for them, and the two agreed to appear before the special prosecutors on the day of their arrival.

The Prosecutor's Office are concerned that if the Banevs are
released, they might go into hiding. There is information that
Banev pushed a witness to give false testimony. LI/TH


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