Sofia court sends ex-deputy mayor's bribery and organized-crime case back to prosecutors over defective indictment

Nikola Barbutov, then a deputy mayor of Sofia, was detained on June 24, 2025 in an anti-corruption raid on Sofia City Hall and removed from his post. Prosecutors charged him with bribery and participating in an organized criminal group in connection with public procurement; he denies wrongdoing through his lawyer.