Prosecutor Seeks 8-Year Jail Term for Ex Anti-Mafia Unit Head

The prosecuting authority has requested a penalty of eight years of imprisonment for Orlin Todorov, former head of the ani-mafia unit in Bulgaria's Veliko Tarnovo

The trial is underway at the Veliko Tarnovo District Court.

Orlin Todorov, former head of the GDBOP (Chief Directorate Combating Organized Crime) unit in Veliko Tarnovo, has been charged with unauthorized disclosure of information pertaining to operational cases of the anti-mafia unit and to pre-trial proceedings, including several cases of disclosure of state secret.

He also faces charges of crimes against justice and malfeasance in office.

Prosecutor Valentin Valkov, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio, claimed that the trial, which lasted a year and eight months, had proved beyond doubt that Todorov had committed serious intentional crimes.

He explained that some of the offences had only been listed without presenting the evidence gathered through special surveillance equipment because  the trial was open to journalists.

"Todorov was authorized to be in charge of the fight against organized crime in the Veliko Tarnovo district but he actually used his post to take care of private interests," Valkov said, adding that Todorov had been a face of corruption in the system of the Interior Ministry.

The trial continues with the presentation of the statements of the two lawyers of the defendant.

Two of the criminal cases against former Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov are related to Todorov.