Deputy Mayor of Sofia Nikola Barbutov was detained on Monday after anti-corruption investigators raided his office at City Hall, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported, citing unofficial sources.
The investigation by the Commission for Anti-Corruption and the Confiscation of Illegally Acquired Property (KPKONPI) follows allegations from district mayors and municipal councillors that officials were pressured to manipulate public tenders and divert funds to the political party “We Continue the Change” (PP), which Barbutov is affiliated with.
Two other people were also reportedly detained. Offices of at least two companies that won controversial public contracts were also searched.
Barbutov, who oversees EU programs, international affairs, and tourism for the city, declined to comment during the search, telling BNT he had no information. Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev defended his deputy but ordered an internal audit of procurement in Barbutov’s portfolio.
The probe was launched urgently after district mayors from “Mladost” and “Lyulin” and two city councillors resigned from PP, accusing the party of coercion and corruption. All four were questioned by investigators. One councillor, Dimitar Shalafov, confirmed he had provided evidence to authorities.
The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office has been notified, and a pre-trial investigation has been opened into alleged corruption offences. Prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges based on the evidence collected, officials said.