site.btaJustice Ministry's Probe into Sofia Prison Escape Fails to Establish How Inmate Got Hold of Firearm

Sofia, April 13 (BTA) - The Justice Ministry's probe into the two inmates' recent escape from Sofia Central Prison has failed to establish how one of them, Vladimir Pelov, has gotten hold of a gun. In addition to that, it is unclear whether he got help from prison staff, show the results of the probe, which were released on Friday.

Two armed prisoners attacked guards in Sofia Central Prison and escaped in the afternoon on April 3. They were identified as Radoslav Kolev, a repeat criminal serving 26 years for murder, and Vladimir Pelov, serving 30 years for robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder of two Interior Ministry officers. The two are still at large.

The results of the inspection, conducted after the two prisoners' escape, show weaknesses in the actions taken by the prison guards, who were on duty on the day of the prisonbreak. Searches of the prisoners' personal possessions, as well as the prisoners themselves, were not conducted in a sufficiently detailed manner, the probe further reveals.

Deputy Justice Minister Nikolay Prodanov said that the inmates have spotted the weaknesses in the system.

According to Prodanov, there won't be any resignations or dismissals as part of this case. There is a proposal, however, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against 14 prison officers, two of whom are deputy prison directors. They will not be taking any time off from work, because it would leave the prison understaffed.

The probe further shows that some of the prison guards have gotten scared when a gun was pointed at them. One officer tried to catch Pelov and Kolev, but failed.

Twelve recommendations for improving security in Sofia Central Prison have been included in a report.