Former Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) chief Stoyan Mavrodiev has been detained in Belgrade, according to information confirmed through cooperation between Bulgarian and Serbian authorities. His identity has been officially verified, and Bulgarian prosecutors, together with the Interior Ministry, have begun preparing the necessary documentation for his extradition to Bulgaria.
Mavrodiev has been the subject of a national search since 2024, while a European arrest warrant was issued against him after investigators were unable to locate him in the country. Authorities accuse him of embezzlement on an especially large scale linked to a controversial loan granted during his tenure at the state-owned bank.
The investigation centers on a loan worth nearly 150 million leva approved by the Bulgarian Development Bank for the company Roadway Construction, which is connected to businessman Rumen Gaitanski, widely known as the Wolf (Valka). Prosecutors allege that the financing was improperly granted and that public funds were subsequently misused.
According to information from the investigation, Mavrodiev had not been seen since August 22, 2024. Before his detention in Serbia, reports indicated that he had been staying in the United Arab Emirates. Sources cited by Bulgarian media said he had been held in Belgrade for approximately 18 days before news of his detention became public.
