HITTING THE FILES: Top, Kolev was in the lead in several
high-profile prosecutions.
VIOLENT END: Bottom, Kolev's body lies on the
pavement near his home.
high-profile prosecutions.
VIOLENT END: Bottom, Kolev's body lies on the
pavement near his home.
THE hail of bullets that ended the life of Nikolai Kolev started a fusillade of unanswered questions about his assassination.
The 53-year-old, one of the most senior members of the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office and a former military prosecutor, died instantly on December 28 after two unidentified assailants opened fire on him.
His son, Georgi Kolev, believed that the gunning down of his father had been planned well in advance. His father had been tailed for months, he told journalists.
"All of Bulgaria knows who my father's enemy was."
This was an apparent reference to Prosecutor-General Nikola Filchev, who his detractors have hastened to attempt to link to the murder.
Among those who have alleged involvement by Filchev are Varna Appellate Prosecutor Vassil Mikov and former Union of Democratic Forces deputy leader Edvin Sugarev.
The link remains unproven. Other senior officials have dismissed the allegation as ridiculous. Filchev has ordered National Investigative Service officials to assist the investigation, and has taken special leave to stave off allegations of improperly influencing the investigation.
Sugarev said he was absolutely positive that Kolev's assassination was ordered by former commando Aleksei Petrov, most probably under pressure from Filchev.
Sugarev said that Kolev's death was a political assassination and that the prosecutor had been the first to talk publicly about Filchev's alleged mental disorders and about problems within the prosecution office.
Sugarev alleged there was a connection between the former commando and current owner of the Spartak swimming complex Aleksei Petrov, the former chief of the anti-terrorist unit Colonel Filko Slavov, and Filchev.
According to Sugarev, commandos from the anti-terrorist unit had attempted to facilitate the escape of Serbian citizen Sreten Yosic.
Interpol wanted Yosic for murders and drug dealing in the Netherlands and Germany.
In July Bulgarian law enforcement authorities arrested him and deported him to the Netherlands.
According to Sugarev, the Serbian mafia gave Petrov $3 million to arrange the escape of Yosic.
Petrov split the money among himself, Filchev and Slavov, alleged Sugarev.
A squad of commandos, led by Slavov, went to Sofia central prison and said they had orders to move Yosic to the detention centre of the transportation police. The prison authorities, however, refused to move Yosic and he remained in the central prison.
Sugarev said that Minister of Justice Anton Stankov had confirmed to him the attempted moving of Yosic.
According to Sugarev, after the failed operation, Petrov did not return the money to the Serbian mafia and this prompted a shooting attack against him at the end of August last year.
"This is what Kolev told me," Sugarev said. "I have no other information on this case, but I know that he had been looking for some. It is very possible that he got such discrediting information about Filchev and for this reason he was killed."
Sugarev also alleged that the Prosecutor-General had been involved in the murder of Yambol lawyer Nadezhda Georgieva.
Sugarev was questioned at the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs in the presence of Interior Ministry chief secretary Boiko Borissov.
Borissov declined to comment on the leads the investigation was following, but said that they were working on a possible connection between Aleksei Petrov and the murder.
Borissov said the investigation was taking Sugarev's allegations "very seriously".
Deputy Prosecutor General Hristo Manchev said that Filchev, who was out of Sofia, had received the news of Kolev's assassination with "strong indignation" and had ordered that everything possible be done towards the detection and apprehension of the perpetrators.
At Kolev's funeral service on January 2, Gracy Simova, the wife of the secretary general of the seamen's trade union Plamen Simov, alleged there was a hit list of enemies of Filchev.
Simova alleged that Kolev had been at the top of the list, which included her husband, bTV reporter Kanna Racheva, and several other people.
Simov was arrested around two months ago and charged with fraud in his attempt to acquire the ownership of the port of Bourgas and stakes in the Deep Sea Fishing Company in 2000.
On January 3, Filchev told journalists he had ordered the participation of investigators from the National Investigative Service in the inquiry into the murder of Kolev.
Later the same day the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office informed the media that Filchev had taken leave in order to avoid allegations that he was trying to influence the investigation.
The 53-year-old, one of the most senior members of the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office and a former military prosecutor, died instantly on December 28 after two unidentified assailants opened fire on him.
His son, Georgi Kolev, believed that the gunning down of his father had been planned well in advance. His father had been tailed for months, he told journalists.
"All of Bulgaria knows who my father's enemy was."
This was an apparent reference to Prosecutor-General Nikola Filchev, who his detractors have hastened to attempt to link to the murder.
Among those who have alleged involvement by Filchev are Varna Appellate Prosecutor Vassil Mikov and former Union of Democratic Forces deputy leader Edvin Sugarev.
The link remains unproven. Other senior officials have dismissed the allegation as ridiculous. Filchev has ordered National Investigative Service officials to assist the investigation, and has taken special leave to stave off allegations of improperly influencing the investigation.
Sugarev said he was absolutely positive that Kolev's assassination was ordered by former commando Aleksei Petrov, most probably under pressure from Filchev.
Sugarev said that Kolev's death was a political assassination and that the prosecutor had been the first to talk publicly about Filchev's alleged mental disorders and about problems within the prosecution office.
Sugarev alleged there was a connection between the former commando and current owner of the Spartak swimming complex Aleksei Petrov, the former chief of the anti-terrorist unit Colonel Filko Slavov, and Filchev.
According to Sugarev, commandos from the anti-terrorist unit had attempted to facilitate the escape of Serbian citizen Sreten Yosic.
Interpol wanted Yosic for murders and drug dealing in the Netherlands and Germany.
In July Bulgarian law enforcement authorities arrested him and deported him to the Netherlands.
According to Sugarev, the Serbian mafia gave Petrov $3 million to arrange the escape of Yosic.
Petrov split the money among himself, Filchev and Slavov, alleged Sugarev.
A squad of commandos, led by Slavov, went to Sofia central prison and said they had orders to move Yosic to the detention centre of the transportation police. The prison authorities, however, refused to move Yosic and he remained in the central prison.
Sugarev said that Minister of Justice Anton Stankov had confirmed to him the attempted moving of Yosic.
According to Sugarev, after the failed operation, Petrov did not return the money to the Serbian mafia and this prompted a shooting attack against him at the end of August last year.
"This is what Kolev told me," Sugarev said. "I have no other information on this case, but I know that he had been looking for some. It is very possible that he got such discrediting information about Filchev and for this reason he was killed."
Sugarev also alleged that the Prosecutor-General had been involved in the murder of Yambol lawyer Nadezhda Georgieva.
Sugarev was questioned at the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs in the presence of Interior Ministry chief secretary Boiko Borissov.
Borissov declined to comment on the leads the investigation was following, but said that they were working on a possible connection between Aleksei Petrov and the murder.
Borissov said the investigation was taking Sugarev's allegations "very seriously".
Deputy Prosecutor General Hristo Manchev said that Filchev, who was out of Sofia, had received the news of Kolev's assassination with "strong indignation" and had ordered that everything possible be done towards the detection and apprehension of the perpetrators.
At Kolev's funeral service on January 2, Gracy Simova, the wife of the secretary general of the seamen's trade union Plamen Simov, alleged there was a hit list of enemies of Filchev.
Simova alleged that Kolev had been at the top of the list, which included her husband, bTV reporter Kanna Racheva, and several other people.
Simov was arrested around two months ago and charged with fraud in his attempt to acquire the ownership of the port of Bourgas and stakes in the Deep Sea Fishing Company in 2000.
On January 3, Filchev told journalists he had ordered the participation of investigators from the National Investigative Service in the inquiry into the murder of Kolev.
Later the same day the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office informed the media that Filchev had taken leave in order to avoid allegations that he was trying to influence the investigation.
