Stoyan Mavrodiev's lawyer - Emanuil Yordanov, claims that his client's signature is missing from the documents for granting a loan of 150 million leva to companies related to businessman Rumen Gaitanski, BNT reports.
We recall that on July 14, the former governor of the Bulgarian Development Bank Stoyan Mavrodiev was extradited to our country from Serbia, after law enforcement agencies had been searching for him for two years. Mavrodiev was taken to the capital's detention center and charged with embezzlement, news.bg reports.
Yordanov defended the prosecutor's office's decision to release his client on bail of 50,000 euros a little more than 24 hours after his detention. He stressed that Mavrodiev had voluntarily returned to Bulgaria to participate in the criminal proceedings, and that detention was not necessary. According to the defense, the case may have started with a political element, but at the moment it should be considered solely through the evidence collected.
Yordanov pointed out that the detention order is not related to the defendant's guilt.
He was categorical that there is absolutely no need for Mavrodiev to remain in detention, since he had voluntarily returned to Bulgaria precisely with the intention of participating in the criminal proceedings.
The detention order is not something that indicates the defendant's guilt or innocence, but is simply a measure that ensures the defendant's appearance and participation in the trial, the lawyer specified.
Yordanov rejected speculation that the trip through Serbia was part of a preliminary plan.
"That's how it happened. There is absolutely no hidden meaning in this trip. Even at the moment he was detained, his lawyer in Belgrade prepared the documents stating his desire to be handed over to the Bulgarian authorities. No problem, he comes here, the proceedings continue, the prosecution is on the move. We are being chased by a heroic espionage mania - we see some hidden meaning in everything that probably does not exist", he commented.
Yordanov said that the defense would not comment on the reasons why Mavrodiev remained outside Bulgaria for nearly two years.
"I have some vague idea why he left Bulgaria, but at this point we do not intend to make these facts public. Let the case end and then more can be said," he noted.
According to him, it is possible that the case began as a political one.
"But at the moment it is an ordinary criminal case, in which all the collected evidence should be seen, and on our part, requests for new evidence should be made, if necessary. And let's move towards the conclusion of the pre-trial proceedings. What makes me assume that there is a political element is the involvement of Ahmed Dogan, who, however, I do not know if he was questioned in the pre-trial proceedings. This is precisely what gives such a flavor," the lawyer also commented.
The main line of defense is related to the procedure for granting the loan from the Bulgarian Development Bank. Yordanov stated that, in his opinion, the signature of the then executive director Stoyan Mavrodiev is missing from the documents.
"Such a case is decided mostly on the basis of documents. So what interests me are the documents prepared for granting a loan," he explained and expressed the opinion that Mavrodiev's signature as director of the Bulgarian Bank for Development and Reform (BBD) is missing.
"Each employee has his own job description. Each such structure has internal rules for functioning. And these things need to be seen. I have not heard anyone speak on this topic until now," he noted and added that the BBD rules at the time did not require Mavrodiev's signature.
According to him, the claims that the loan was unsecured do not fully correspond to the facts.
"There was collateral. I am not able to announce some facts that I know now, but when they are understood, it will be seen that the picture is slightly different from the one presented in the media," Yordanov said.
The lawyer also commented on the topic of wanted Bulgarian citizens abroad. He does not expect Tsvetan Vassilev to return to Bulgaria voluntarily, but believes that he could also provide information "that would be useful for healing the public climate."