site.btaProsecution Service Seeks Assistance From United Arab Emirates to Hear Vassil Bojkov As Witness

The Sofia City Prosecution Office has prepared a proposal to the Supreme Court of Cassation's (SCC) International Department, for sending an application for judicial cooperation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to hear Vassil Bojkov as a witness by video conference, based on the basis of reciprocity, the SCC said Friday. The request is related to the initiated case of extortion of Vassil Bojkov. 

Fugitive gambling mogul Vassil Bojkov is currently reported to be in Dubai, as he faces a number of charges in Bulgaria. 

The prosecution ruled that the investigative actions carried out by the Interior Ministry - the proceedings in which the leader of the opposition party GERB Boyko Borissov, the former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, and the publicist Sevdelina Arnaudova were detained by the Ministry of Interior for 24 hours and then released without charges, were flawed and ordered investigators to conduct them again. 

Bulgaria already has experience in communication with the UAE on the so-called basis of reciprocity. If the Bulgarian Justice Ministry receives documents requesting Vassil Bojkov's hearing, they will be sent to the UAE in just a few days, Justice Minister Nadezhda Yordanova told journalists.