site.btaSofia City Court Allows Former Gambling Mogul Vassil Bojkov to Travel Abroad

On Tuesday, the Sofia City Court allowed former gambling mogul and businessman Vassil Bojkov to travel abroad and lifted the ban on him leaving the country. This decision was made as part of his ongoing trial. The Sofia City Court initially refused to allow gambling mogul and businessman Vassil Bojkov to go to France for medical treatment between December 20, 2024 and January 20, 2025. 

The businessman was brought to court as an instigator with the complicity of officials from the Bulgarian State Commission on Gambling, who allowed the full amount of fees due under the Gambling Act to not be charged and collected. As a result of the criminal activity, damages were caused to the state budget in the amount of BGN 559,739,164.70, and much lower fees were collected.

The court justified its decision to lift Bojkov’s travel ban by stating that the businessman had never been the reason for delays in the case. Additionally, it was noted that he had always appeared before the court as required.

The court rejected the prosecution service’s request to gather new evidence. The prosecution service had asked for data from the National Revenue Agency (NRA), the State Agency for National Security (SANS), and the Ministry of Interior. According to the prosecution service, a European investigation order is also needed for Malta.