Pretrial detention sought for fugitive Iva Mihailova

The Public Prosecutor’s Office requested pretrial detention for defendant and fugitive Iva Mihailova after the court in Kočani informed it this morning that she had failed to comply with measures intended to ensure her appearance in court.

The Interior Ministry’s notification reached the court 24 hours after Mihailova appeared on Bulgarian television. She is currently receiving treatment at Pirogov Hospital. According to the notification, Mihailova is not in Kočani, has not reported to the court as required by the measures imposed and was not found at her address in Kočani.

Spiro Borisov, president of the Kočani court and the judge hearing the case against Mihailova, said the information from the Interior Ministry was received today at 9:40 a.m. The notification was immediately forwarded to the Kočani Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Borisov explained that the Kočani Public Prosecutor’s Office must propose a measure, which could be stricter, and the court must then make a decision. According to him, an arrest warrant is issued after that decision.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that, as soon as the public prosecutor received the court’s notification this morning, a request for pretrial detention was immediately submitted to the court.

The Prosecutor’s Office also clarified that the court can act on its own initiative. /Telegrafi/