site.btaSofia City Prosecution Office Terminates Barcelonagate Money Laundering Case over Lack of Evidence

The Sofia City Prosecution Office terminated the pre-trial investigation on the so-called Barcelonagate case, the prosecuting magistracy said in a press release. Barcelonagate is a money-laundering case, involving the name of GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov, who is currently an MP of GERB-UDF.

As part of the pre-trial proceedings, numerous procedural and investigative actions were carried out, including interrogations of more than 20 witnesses, including former magistrates, as well as Borissov himself. Numerous documentary and physical evidence was collected. Searches and seizures were carried out, a forensic accounting and an economic expert report were completed, European Investigation Orders were sent to the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Cyprus and, following their execution, the results of these EIOs were applied to the case. Numerous documents have been collected, including tax and social security information, declarations to the Counter-Corruption and Unlawfully Acquired Assets Forfeiture Commission declarations, among others, the prosecuting magistracy said.

After analyzing all the collected materials, a team of prosecutors from the Sofia City Prosecution Office has come to the conclusion that there is no evidence to categorically indicate that the crime been committed (*a crime under Article 321 of the Criminal Code for money laundering, consisting in the purchase of real estate in the Kingdom of Spain, Barcelona), the prosecuting magistracy added.

The press release also reads that the witnesses’ testimonies do not contain allegations that Borissov personally or through an intermediary ordered the transaction for the purchase of real estate in Spain in March 2013, provided the funds for its purchase in the amount of nearly 3 million euros.

"In the course of the criminal proceedings no evidence has been collected to draw a firm conclusion that the immovable property was purchased with money obtained from a crime", the prosecuting magistrate said. The existence of criminal links between a group of Bulgarian citizens, including Borissov, cannot be judged from the information contained in the material received through European Investigation Orders from the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Cyprus, the prosecuting magistracy added.