Brando's ex-wife was relieved by 85 vouchers after the capital's Court of Appeals reduced Monica Dobrinova's indictment for illegal charges from 100,000 to 15,000.

This became clear from a decision of the Sofia Court of Appeals (SCA) days ago, Bulgaria Today writes. 

The SAS overturned a decision by the Sofia City Court (SCC), which sentenced Evelin Banev's ex-prosecutor to 100 bonas for illegal charges of involvement in a criminal money laundering group along with Brendo and his brother Simo Karaichev.

They are accusing a Swiss bank of laundering millions of Brendo

Last year, the city court awarded Dobrinova BGN 100,000 in compensation for moral damages from the illegal accusation and another BGN 18,000 in property damages from her attorney's fees.

The appellate magistrates found it fair for the prosecutor's office to pay Dobrinova only 15 vouchers for non-pecuniary damages, but upheld the decision ordering the state prosecution to pay BGN 18,000 in lawyers' fees.

Bulfoto (archive)

The case against Brando in Bulgaria ended finally in 2018, when the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) found guilty only the "cocaine king" and his stepson Simo Karaichev for participating in a criminal group that only aimed to launder money, but she didn't.

Banev was sentenced to six years in prison, and Karaichev received a suspended sentence, and only then was Dobrinova and her sister Desislava Dishlieva (wife of Konstantin Dishliev, who was killed in 2005) finally acquitted.

At the time, Brando was sentenced in both Romania and Italy to 10 and 20 years in prison, but managed to escape to Kyiv, where he was captured.

Brando was not extradited, as he also acquired Ukrainian citizenship.

The case in Bulgaria against the "cocaine king" Banev, Karaichev, Dobrinova and Dishlieva lasted 11 years, as the city court initially convicted all four, and Dobrinova received a suspended sentence of 3 years in prison.

The Sofia Court of Appeals then acquitted her, but the Supreme Court of Cassation remanded the case for a new hearing to reach a second acquittal, which had already been upheld by the supreme judges.

Testimony about the damage Dobrinova suffered during the trial was given by her father and her friend, who said she was most worried about her children.

Banev's ex-wife felt the worst during the initial conviction, cried constantly, could not sleep and began to receive panic attacks.

Due to the media coverage of the trial, she did not leave her home for months and did not even turn on the TV so that her eldest daughter would not understand what was being said about her.

The court appellate panel writes that it cannot be assumed that Dobrinova suffered all the described damages because of the accusation brought against her.

The court recalls that in 2013 her younger daughter Lara was abducted, who was released a month and a half later, and it was assumed that Banev had paid a ransom of about BGN 1 million.

On the other hand, her husband Brendo was sentenced to imprisonment for another crime in Italy, which undoubtedly had a negative effect on Dobrinova.

Therefore, the SAS finds that the amount of damages established in the present proceedings is not due solely to the prosecution.

Therefore, the awarded amount of a total of BGN 100,000 does not correspond to the amount of damages, nor to the economic situation in the country for the period 2007 to 2018, nor to the proven factual situation, "the decision of the second instance reads.

The decision is not final and can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Cassation.

The court ruled that Evelin Banev-Brendo could not serve her sentences in Bulgaria

 The "cocaine king" is struggling to lie in his hometown

Brando refuses to accept the refusals of the Bulgarian judiciary to serve the sentences imposed on him by Italy and Romania in Bulgaria.

The fight continues before the Court of Appeal in Sofia.

As Bulgaria Today wrote, Evelin Banev's lawyer Silvia Naidenova filed the application a few days ago, but a date for the case has not yet been set.

Brando appealed against another refusal by the Sofia City Court to consider his request to serve his sentences in Romania and Italy in Bulgaria.

Judge Miroslav Georgiev for the second time refused to consider such a request from Brando.

The first is from mid-September last year, a few days after he was detained in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Until then, he was unknown and was wanted by a European arrest warrant and a red Interpol bulletin.

Banev's request is that his sentences, imposed in Italy and Romania, be recognized and served in our country together with the sentence imposed on him by the Bulgarian court, which is the least.

If he manages to fight back and win the case in the Court of Appeals, Banev will face Themis and start a complex case to group his three sentences.

Evelin Banev - Brando