Fugitive Bulgarian gambling mogul Vassil Bozhkov returned to Bulgaria on August 25 and was arrested by the police. He faces 20 charges for crimes ranging from corruption to money laundering and involvement in blackmail and murders with prosecutors. There is also recent information that he was in correspondence with the late Wagner PMC head Yevnegy Prigozhin and attempted to do business in Crimea.

Bozhkov has been living in Dubai for the past three years, since the prosecution suddenly accused him of various crimes, while at the same time the parliament, under the control of the ruling Gerb party, changed several laws to take over his gambling business.

The latest claims by the prosecution, revealed after Bozhkov's arrival and detention, are that he had correspondence with Russians, including Prigozhin, which showed Bozhkov wanted to develop a gambling business in occupied Crimea.

“From a computer with Vasil Bozhkov’s email, it is clear that he had business relations with the Russian citizen Yevgeny Prigozhin and several other Russian citizens sanctioned after the annexation of Crimea,” prosecutor Angel Kanev from the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office said as quoted by Euractiv.

He added that this information was discovered more than two years ago but not revealed in public until now.

“The accused, Bozhkov, has structured active companies operating in the field of gambling, with significant financial capital, he has registered gambling activities in the Republic of Georgia,” Kanev added.

Bozhkov also claimed he paid millions of lev in bribes to Gerb’s leader, former prime minister Boyko Borissov, and ex-finance minister Vladislav Goranov. In exchange, he claimed, they shielded his gambling business. Bozhkov said he has proof but the prosecution refused to interrogate him via an online platform.

“Today I am returning. After all hurdles that [former chief prosecutor Ivan] Geshev’s prosecution and the other instruments have created for me,” Bozhkov wrote on Facebook, referring to a public statement from Geshev that he was the “instrument of God”. Geshev, a controversial choice for chief prosecutor, was sacked in June. 

After landing, Bozhkov wrote he had a meeting with “the bats”. In Bulgaria, for years the prosecution has been accused of acting as a bat against opponents of Gerb and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS).

Bozhkov was detained after landing. Sega news outlet quoted Stoyan Baumayer, Bozhkov’s lawyer who travelled with him, as saying that the businessman would post more information on social media next week. He gave no other details.

In mid-May, Bozhkov said he was ready to become a protected witness against Borissov and Goranov. The latter was blacklisted by the US in February for using his position to facilitate bribery in exchange for favourable legislation, depriving the government of tax revenues.

Bozhkov, who is also sanctioned by the US, said that Goranov has been demanding 20% of his profit and in return pushed for legislative changes that made it easier for his gambling business to operate.

Meanwhile, there is speculation that the return of Bozhkov means that he has struck a deal not to be prosecuted.

“Obviously, Vassil Bozhkov has agreed with his former enemies, because as we can see he is coming home, and as a culprit for his problems, he mentions only “Geshev's” prosecution. Obviously, with [acting prosecutor general Borislav] “Sarafov’s” everything will be “fine”. If we do not reform our judiciary, only convenient chief prosecutors will continue to be installed at the top of the prosecution, who do not see how those who ruin Bulgaria quarrel, reconcile, regroup, or kill each other, according to their current interests,” Dimitar Naidenov, MP of Change Continues-Democratic Bulgaria, wrote on Facebook.

He pointed out that the ruling coalition has proposed constitutional reforms that would complete the reform of the judiciary.