Press release from Specialized Prosecutor’s Office
After receiving permission from a judge of the Specialized Criminal Court on 07 July 2020, a search and seizure were carried out in a property owned by I.Z., located in Sofia. In the course of the search were found and seized a large number of yellow metal coins, documents and invoices.
At present, from the inspection of some of the seized material evidence - yellow metal coins, it is established that they coincide with those returned by orders of prosecutors at the Specialized Prosecutor's Office of 18 February 2020 and 26 March 2020 in connection with a request of I.Z., in his capacity of manager of IZAMET 1991 OOD. The coins were returned with takeover records. The order states that the coins are not subject or means of a crime and are not subject to confiscation in favor of the state under Art.53 of the Penal Code and under the Administrative Violations and Sanctions Act and their return would not impede the investigation.
The coins were seized with search and seizure protocols on 17 and 18 July 2019 in connection with an investigation against an organized criminal group set up to obtain income through extortion, embezzlement, unprofitable transactions and large-scale money laundering.
The inspection of the remaining part of the material evidence seized on 07 July 2020 continues, in order to establish whether they coincide with those returned with takeover records. In case of new circumstances that would not prevent the disclosure of the objective truth, the Specialized Prosecutor's Office will notify the Bulgarian public.