Bodyguard of SIK boss Milcho Bonev – Bai Mile, close friend of Serbian mobster Sreten Josic and survivor of an assassination attempt that hit his body with 14 shrapnel. This is the short story of Vasil Kostov – Vasko Ketsa, who is currently serving a life sentence for several murders.
“I didn’t do anything. It’s just a bad coincidence that I was where the murders took place.” This is what Ketsa explained to prosecutors shortly after being arrested in July 2010.
Transcripts filed in the case show he was still suffering from his injuries. He wanted water, a doctor and someone to help him.
During questioning, he denied any involvement. He had the money Bai Mile left him, as well as his father’s gold.
The prosecution claims, and then proves before the court, that on April 6, 2008, he personally killed Borisslav Georgiev. He also organized the murders of two other people: Rumen Rachev from Shumen and lawyer Petar Lupov from Veliko Tarnovo. Already on the night of his interrogation, the operation to arrest him was called “The Killers”. The gang behind this name was led by Petar Stoyanov – Sumista.
The “Killers” also became one of the few historical cases that began when Tsvetan Tsvetanov was Interior Minister, which ended in the heaviest sentences
The leader of the gang is Pesho Sumista, but the investigators pay special attention to Vasco Ketsa.
“I can say many things. For the rulers, how they spent the captagon for Turkey and how they organized the racket. From whom they received the orders and to whom they brought the money”, says Ketsa, trying to escape the accusation. Later, he believed that this was playing a trick on him, and for this he received the worst possible punishment: life imprisonment.
“A bomb didn’t kill me, but they will kill me in prison.” I know a lot about the people who are in power now. I have known this from the Mutren years, ”he says, recalling the case of September 1, 2001. Then a bomb was planted next to the house in Bai Mile in the east district of the capital. Two people were injured in the explosion.
Ketsa suffered the worst. She has as many as 14 shrapnel fragments on her body. However, he managed to save the life of one of the biggest bosses of SIK Milcho Bonev. In return he gives him an apartment.
“That’s where my money comes from. From the Bay Mile. And from my father”, were Ketsa’s justifications during the preliminary investigations against him.
According to the material attached to the case, he was also in charge of the election campaign. This happened in July 2009. Her job was to go around “certain” villages to secure votes. However, it is unclear for which party.
Throughout the entire investigation, Ketsa claimed that the money she had came from Bai Mile and Pesho Sumista, the “Killers” torturer, who is also serving a life sentence. However, they were not given to him for murders, but because he worked “other jobs”. However, the two were sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
From sumo champion to number 1 killer in Bulgaria
The criminal murder gang “The Killers”, who tried at least several murders on their behalf, was headed by our sumo champion Petar Stoyanov – Vozhda, who since 2010 is one of the most popular and beloved Bulgarian athletes.
His image as the founder of this sport is due to the sumo federation he created and the unprecedented world successes in the discipline of his student Kaloyan Mahlyanov – Kotooshu.
However, Stoyanov was arrested and convicted. To this day, he denies any involvement in the commission or organization of the killings. Despite his numerous appeals and more than 50 lawsuits filed against the state, Stoyanov is behind bars, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his life.
However, that’s not all. It will also part ways with properties worth more than BGN 340,000, informs bg-voice.
At the beginning of the year, the decision of the Stara Zagora District Court to confiscate the assets of Sumista and his ex-wife, worth a total of 341,491.34 levs, came into force.
The confiscation case was delayed because the lawsuit was filed in court under the old law after his criminal conviction took effect at the end of 2017. Stoyanov was sentenced to life in prison because, from 2007 to 2010, he formed and led an armed organized crime group to commit murder, causing moderate and serious bodily harm and arson.
Together with Sumista, Georgi Valev and Vasil Kostov were sentenced to life imprisonment. They were convicted of organizing the murders of lawyer Petar Lupov and businessman Rumen Rachev.
The Stara Zagora court notes in its decision to confiscate Sumista’s property that he too was convicted in 1995 and that in 2002 and 2003 there were investigations against him for crimes from which he received money.
“The analysis of the preliminary investigation procedure initiated against the person highlights a persistent criminal activity, the type and nature of which is related to the generation of illicit proceeds”, reads the sentence.
4 years ago, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a property confiscation claim to Georgi Valev for more than BGN 3.6 million, which also includes 41 properties.
