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Valentin Dimitrov
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The Bulgarian Post
2006-07-07 08:34:40
Sofia City Court left behind bars the former head of district heating company "Toplofikacia Sofia", who was arrested on charges of money laundering and tax evasion earlier in the week.
The court, which held a closed-door session on Friday, fears that the defendant Valentin Dimitrov may go into hiding and perpetrate another crime.
The court ruling will be appealed on July 14.
Asked by a journalist where his money came from, Dimitrov said: "I don't remember. They are just looking for a scapegoat."
Valentin Dimitrov was detained Tuesday and remained in custody for 72 hours. The move came on a tip-off from abroad that Dimitrov made an attempted laundering of EUR 1.64 M in Austria
Sofia mayor Boyko Borissov has repeatedly submitted materials for malpractices in the company, unveiled by checks of municipal inspectors. The latest tip-off came on June 30 and showed drastic violations, bringing the total amount of abused money to BGN 16 M. Dimitrov is said to have equipped his office with sauna, Jacuzzi and a private masseur on the company's account.
The revelations led to Dimitrov's dismissal as executive director of the company, but he retained the post of deputy director. He was definitively sacked after the shareholders' meeting on June 23.
A day earlier Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov and Sofia Mayor Boyko Borissov exchanged fire over the financial abuse at the Sofia heating utility. Both Sofia Municipality and the Economy and Energy Ministry are responsible for the management of the utility.
In the period of a single day however the battle degenerated into a political brawl and gossiping.
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