site.btaAppellate Court Reverses Defendant Vassil Bojkov's Permission to Travel Abroad

The Sofia Appellate Court Thursday reversed a Sofia City Court permission for former gambling mogul and businessman Vassil Bojkov to travel abroad, the Appellate Court said.

The court said Bojkov was being tried for serious intentional crimes which carry over five years' imprisonment on conviction, and that there still was a risk of his absconding abroad. The Appellate Court's ruling is unappealable."

On March 11, the Sofia City Court allowed Bojkov to travel abroad. Initially, it had turned down his request to go to France for medical treatment between December 20, 2024 and January 20, 2025. The ban was lifted on the grounds that the businessman had never caused delays in the case and had always appeared before the court as required.

The businessman was brought to court as an instigator in conspiracy with officials from the Bulgarian State Commission on Gambling, who allowed the full fees required under the Gambling Act to go uncharged and uncollected. The criminal activity caused a detriment of BGN 559,739,164.70 to the Exchequer.