Alexander Tomov, former president of CSKA Sofia football club, has been charged with embezzlement of a total of 36 million leva, Bulgarian news agency BTA quoted prosecutor Bozhidar Djambazov as saying on January 12 2009.

Tomov was indicted on two separate charges, Djambazov said. The first one is for embezzlement of funds from CSKA Sofia football club and the second one of embezzlement of funds from the steel-plant Kremikovtzi, where Tomov was chief executive before resigning in February 2008.

Three other individuals have been charged with the same accusations, Djambazov said. If proven guilty, they could be sentenced to between 10 to 20 years imprisonment. 

The charges come half a year after prosecutors started investigation Tomov in embezzlement of funds. In July 2008, he told reporters that he was under investigation for embezzlement of 3.5 million euro. Tomov told reporters the news himself on July 2, after being questioned for two hours at the National Investigative Service.

Back then, he denied the accusations and said that he had a document confirming that 3.5 million euro was the price at which CSKA's former owner Vassil Bozhkov sold the club to Indian tycoon and owner of Kremikovtzi Pramod Mittal.

Earlier, in June 2008, Yavor Blaskov, who described himself as a fan of CSKA Sofia football club, said he wanted to sue Tomov for 310 000 leva.

Blaskov said he would sue Tomov for "psychological damages" caused by Tomov's management of CSKA. Blaskov lawyers will file the lawsuit at Sofia City Court based on a medical evaluation of Blaskov's condition he said.

In July 2008, Tomov resigned as CSKA president after Bulgarian Football Union denied CSKA a license to play in Bulgaria's top division, Group A, because of accumulated debts. This led to Uefa denying CSKA its right to play in next season's Champions League, although the club later received a licence to play in the domestic league.