Bribery & corruptionOversight & ethics enforcementCourts & justice
Sofia court sends ex-deputy mayor's bribery and organized-crime case back to prosecutors over defective indictment
Confidence: Alleged · 2 sourcesSofia · Oct 12, 2026
Subject of this story
Nikola Barbutov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia
Also named
Oversight
Sofia City Court
What happened
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. Courts kept him in custody in 2025, and he was indicted in November 2025. On March 25, 2026 the Sofia City Court found material procedural breaches in the indictment, returned the case to the prosecution and ended the court proceedings; the prosecutor said he would appeal. He is presumed innocent.
By the numbers (1)
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
Figures
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A Sofia court ordered that former Sofia deputy mayor Nikola Barbutov remain in custody while his adviser Petar Rafailov was released on bail.
1 source
- BNT — Court remands former Sofia deputy mayor in custody
Court ordered that former Sofia deputy mayor Nikola Barbutov remain in custody; his adviser Petar Rafailov was released on bail.
Sources (2)
БТА (Bulgarian Telegraph Agency)returned it to the prosecution for streamlining, and terminated the proceedings
BNTCourt ordered that former Sofia deputy mayor Nikola Barbutov remain in custody; his adviser Petar Rafailov was released on bail.
Response
Nikola Barbutov
Statement given
Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.