The key hearing in the case of the death of the two policemen in Burgas on 25 August 2022 is currently underway at the District Court in Burgas. The prosecution, the Syrian defence lawyer Omar Adnan and the lawyers for the accusers are presenting their final pleadings in the trial to the magistrates. The court is then expected to pronounce the defendant’s sentence.
In the courtroom, prosecutor Dimitar Uzunov was adamant that he fully supports the charges brought against him, which are for deliberately causing a serious traffic accident that led to the deaths of the two Burgas police officers at the Trapezitsa roundabout.
Uzunov announced that the accusation has been proven to be true in an undeniable and categorical way. Omar Adnan was driving the bus that killed the two law enforcement officers in the seaside town at 88 kilometres per hour – well above the 40 kilometres per hour allowed in the section.
Officers Yordan Iliev and Atanas Gradev were at the roundabout to stop the bus carrying illegal migrants. However, Omar Adnan continued, causing the serious traffic accident and causing the death of the law enforcement officers.
The prosecutor stressed that this was a particularly serious case, which constituted an offence under the Penal Code. It is also considered that in this case there was possible intent in the actions, because Adnan was aware of the socially dangerous consequences and nevertheless allowed them to occur, taking no measures to prevent this from happening.
The Syrian was clearly aware that he was using a motor vehicle on a public road and breaking the traffic law in pursuit of his unlawful purpose. A triple auto examination has been prepared in the case, which provides clarity on the execution of his criminal purpose, the public prosecutor further announced to the court.
Dimitar Uzunov stressed that Omar Adnan did not use the braking system of the bus, and it was in working order. The same applies to the steering system. Absolutely no technical defects were found in the bus that could have had any connection with the serious accident. Furthermore, there were two ways in which the accident could have been prevented.
According to the prosecutor in the case, Adnan intentionally caused the bus to collide with the patrol car, thereby causing the tragedy. The Syrian’s immediate and direct goal was to prevent the law enforcement from stopping him.
The Syrian was identified in the courtroom as a mentally healthy person. It was also stressed that he had an excellent view of the police checkpoints set up on his way, but this did not stop him either. On the contrary. He disobeyed the signals given to him, thereby creating a risk to the lives of the passengers on the bus as well. Due to all these circumstances, the prosecution considers that there is a high degree of danger in Omar Adnan’s act. Moreover, is he was transporting even children. The passengers were unbelted, also sitting on the floor of the bus.
Dimitar Uzunov described the Syrian’s actions as brazen and arrogant. According to the prosecutor, he showed absolute indifference to the taking of human lives and showed it with his actions. Moreover. Omar Adnan intended to transport the illegal migrants through the entire territory of Bulgaria, violating the laws of the country, which speaks of a clear disregard for the rule of law on his part. His actions, Uzunov claims, were daring and brutal.
Uzunov also quotes some of the testimony of witnesses in the case. Ivan Popov’s son stated that he personally boarded and tested the bus and it was upright. He was prepared to travel to Germany.
Another witness who was travelling on the bus stated that he heard the sound of police sirens but did not see anything. The sound was loud. He was unable to give an exact number of people who were inside, but was adamant that there were families with children among them. The migrants had bumped into each other at every movement, and the brakes had been applied too often. The aim was for the bus to make it to Sofia.
Police officers involved in the attempts to stop the bus driven by Omar Adnan have also testified in court. They made it clear that they had tried to stop him on numerous occasions, but he had tried to push the police vehicles off the road and had not stopped at their signals.
It also became clear that an incident would have occurred at the checkpoint near Burgas. The policemen barely managed to move their vehicle. A signal was given with a lantern and a stop stick, but the bus did not slow down at all and continued.
All this is a blow to the statehood of the Republic of Bulgaria, the prosecutor in the case of the death of the two Burgas policemen was adamant.
