The accused of smuggling in the customs affair Nikola Nikolov-Pascal has been released from custody in Serbia.
This was reported by "24 Chasa". The information was also confirmed by his lawyer in the case in Bulgaria, Galya Galabova. She explained that her client was released 3 days ago and is under house arrest.
"The reasons are both medical and the prolonged arrest - more than 4 months, and there is no ruling on the merits of the first instance for extradition," lawyer Galabova told "24 Chasa". She explained that Nikolov was in Serbia specifically for treatment and left his home a month before the action against him in Bulgaria. He was even arrested almost in front of the hospital. Galabova, however, cannot comment on her client's health.
The lawyer indicated that there will probably be no ruling on the extradition case soon. The reason is that lawyers in Serbia are also participating in the mass protests in the country that erupted after a shed at a Novi Sad train station collapsed 4 months ago and killed 15 people. In that case, the court will probably also cancel the house arrest, Galabova predicted.
In early April of this year, the Anti-Corruption Commission detained the then head of the "Customs" agency; Petya Bankova, as well as businessmen Stefan Dimitrov and his father Marin Dimitrov. The investigation, based on information from the National Security Agency, showed that they worked to provide smuggling channels for Pascal, and Stefan Dimitrov had contacted him and even traveled together to Romania. Later, the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Zhivko Kotsev was charged and released on bail.
After Nikolov was not found in our country, he was declared wanted. After his detention in Belgrade, a procedure was initiated for his extradition to Bulgaria. However, Pascal's release from arrest does not mean that he will be extradited to our country. The decision is a two-instance court decision, and finally signed by the Minister of Justice. Tsvetan Vassilev, a defendant in absentia for the embezzlement of Corpbank, has been under this procedure in Belgrade for more than 10 years.
Nikola Nikolov-Pascal has been associated with cigarette smuggling for 30 years, but has not been charged with this crime so far. Pascal was detained at the end of September, after a European arrest warrant was issued for him.