A Bulgarian businessman was shot {dead} in broad daylight in a suburb of Sofia

SOFIA, Bulgaria — A distinguished Bulgarian businessman whose rollercoaster profession mirrored his nation’s transition from communism to democracy was shot {dead} in broad daylight on Wednesday, police stated.

Police stated that Alexey Petrov died on the spot after being shot by individuals unknown round midday in a suburb of the capital, Sofia. A girl who was with him was injured and was taken to an emergency hospital with a gunshot wound.

Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated and police are inspecting the crime scene.

Petrov, 61, was the goal of at the least two different makes an attempt on his life.

A karate champion and former state safety agent, Petrov left his job within the police after the autumn of communism to begin a non-public enterprise. It boomed, and he turned an affiliate in over 50 corporations by 2002.

In 2010, he was arrested and charged with operating a prison group engaged in extortion, racketeering, drug trafficking, cash laundering, and tax evasion.

He was launched on bail and ultimately acquitted, whereas the subsequent 12 months he was even a candidate within the presidential election.

In recent times, Petrov ran one of many greatest insurance coverage corporations within the nation. He additionally served as an adviser to the pinnacle of the State Company for Nationwide Safety, and for a while was additionally a college lecturer in economics,

In the course of the Nineteen Nineties, killings of public figures had been a standard incidence in Bulgaria, however the brand new outburst of violence has shocked the nation.