The Bulgarian Embassy in Greece on Saturday condemned the actions of a 35-year-old Bulgarian man who attempted to flee justice following his arrest for lowering the Greek flag at the passenger port in Kavala, saying his behavior had been “illegal” and “regrettable”.
Replying to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the embassy said that the actions of the 35-year-old – who on Friday lowered the Greek flag at the port and raised the Bulgarian flag in its place – were “in complete dissonance with the excellent good neighborly relations between Greece and Bulgaria as two members of the European Union.”
It also announced that the man was detained and interrogated by Bulgarian police shortly after passing through the border crossing, then released pending possible further police and other action. It noted that the man had a previous conviction in Bulgaria for drunk driving.
The man was caught in Bulgaria on Saturday afternoon after driving through the barriers on both the Greek and Bulgarian side of the border when border officials attempted to stop him, violating restrictions imposed on him by Greek prosecuting authorities, which had barred him from leaving the country until trial.
The 35-year-old had been arrested on Friday after he was seen lowering the Greek flag and replacing it with a Bulgarian flag at the “Apostolos Pavlos” port in Kavala. Coast guard officers intervened and placed him under arrest, which he resisted, and led him before a Kavala public prosecutor.
He was charged with insulting national symbols and resisting arrest and given a trial date, then released but forbidden to leave Greece until the trial was held, while authorities also removed his car number plates.
On Saturday, the Bulgarian defied the restrictions and drove his car to the Exochi border crossing, where he resisted attempts to stop him by accelerating and driving through the barriers, first on the Greek side and then on the Bulgarian side, entering Bulgarian territory.
According to sources, he was detained and his car confiscated by Bulgarian police. The Drama police have additionally charged him with dangerous driving and destruction of public property. [AMNA]
