In Bulgaria, businessman Vasil Bozhkov has been arrested, according to Blitz agency. Bozhkov was connected to the founder of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who recently passed away. They also shared a business relationship.
Bozhkov is facing approximately 20 charges, including leading a criminal organization, murder, and extortion.
After returning from Dubai, where he had resided for three years, Bozhkov was arrested on August 25. During court proceedings, the prosecutor highlighted the active email correspondence between Bozhkov and Prigozhin as a basis for the arrest.
The two businessmen had been communicating for over three years and were engaged in a common business endeavor. According to Telegraph, Bozhkov also held a majority share (51%) in a gaming company in Crimea.
However, Bozhkov's lawyer, Georgi Gatev, dismissed the relevance of the prosecutor's information to the current case, stating that there were no indications of connections with foreign parties. The defense plans to contest the court's decision.
"The information presented by the prosecutor has no relevance to the case currently under consideration. There are no facts or circumstances that suggest any connections with foreign individuals," stated lawyer Georgi Gatev. The defense has promised to appeal the court's decision.
It's important to note that in 2021, Bozhkov faced sanctions from the United States due to his involvement in attempting to establish a conduit for Russian influence on Bulgarian officials through bribery.
