site.btaUPDATED Court Lifts House Arrest of Ex-Gambling Mogul Vassil Bojkov, He Registers as Top-of-the-List Candidate in National, European Elections

The Sofia City Court Tuesday lifted the house arrest of former gambling mogul Vassil Bojkov, who has been charged with a long list of offences, including attempted murder, rape, corruption and running an organized crime group. The court agreed that there is no risk for the defendant to commit a come, to influence the collection of evidence as the process has been completed, or to abscond. The decision is not final and can be appealed by the prosecution service.

Shortly after his release, Bojkov registered as a top-of-the-list candidate in the June 9 elections for national and European Parliament.

Once considered to be the wealthiest Bulgarian with assets worth between BGN 1.5 and 3 billion, Bojkov lost his gambling empire in early 2020 when Parliament outlawed private lotteries, and he was charged with evasion of more than BGN 700 million in gambling licensing fees, money laundering, extortion, bribery, murder, abetting in murder, attempted rape, leading an organized crime group since 2014, trading in influence, and unlawful possession of cultural assets. The businessman left the country before the full-scale crackdown against him and remained in the United Arab Emirates until August 25, 2023, when he arrived in Sofia by air after announcing his return earlier in the day in a Facebook post. Bojkov was detained at Sofia Airport and remanded in custody over one of the cases against him related to his gambling business. He has been under house arrest since September 5.

Bojkov's defence moved for his release from remand in late April.

In early April, prosecutors announced that they had completed an investigation against him for attempted rape, murder and abetting in murder. Initially, the pre-trial proceedings were conducted against Bojkov and six other defendants for an organized criminal group created for the purpose of murder, rape and coercion. At the end of March the case was partially closed. Also, part of the materials from the investigation were separated and sent to the Pleven and Blagoevgrad prosecution offices. The investigation had been terminated against five of the defendants in the part concerning the leadership and participation in an organized criminal group due to inconclusive evidence.

On April 23, the Sofia City Prosecution Office brought an indictment against Bojkov and officials from the disbanded State Gambling Commission for forming an organized crime group involved in extortion, official misconduct and corruption offences. Bojkov will be prosecuted as an instigator acting in complicity with State Gambling Commission officials who made it possible to charge and collect less than the full amount of fees payable under the Gambling Act. This caused a detriment of over BGN 559 million to the Exchequer. 

Political plans

After the court's decision on his release Tuesday, Bojkov went to the Central Election Commission to register the candidates’ list of a coalition including his Bulgarian Voice party. He told reporters there that he would be the top-of-the-list candidate of the coalition for the European elections and will be the leading candidate for the national elections in two constituencies: one in Sofia and one in Pazardjik.

Candidates in elections have immunity to prosecution in Bulgaria, which will be extended if the candidate gets elected.

The coalition, Centre, also includes the Alternative for Bulgaria party, established by MPs who were expelled from the nationalist Vazrazhdane party in February 2024 over differences in positions.

Bojkov said that his coalition won’t partner with GERB and Continue the Change in the next Parliament.