The Bulgarian Embassy in Greece criticized the conduct of a 35-year-old Bulgarian man who sought to flee prosecution after being arrested for lowering the Greek flag at the Kavala passenger port, calling his actions “illegal” and “regrettable.”
The embassy responded to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency by saying that the 35-year-old’s actions, which included lowering the Greek flag at the port and raising the Bulgarian flag in its place on Friday, were “completely at odds with the excellent good neighborly relations between Greece and Bulgaria as two members of the European Union.”
It was also claimed that the individual was detained and questioned by Bulgarian police shortly after crossing the border, then released pending further police and other action. It was observed that the individual had previously been convicted of drunk driving in Bulgaria.
The man was apprehended in Bulgaria on Saturday afternoon after driving through barriers on both the Greek and Bulgarian sides of the border when border officials attempted to stop him, violating restrictions imposed by Greek prosecutors that barred him from leaving the country until his trial.
The 35-year-old was apprehended on Friday after being seen lowering the Greek flag and replacing it with a Bulgarian flag at Kavala’s “Apostolos Pavlos” port. Coast guard personnel intervened and arrested him, despite his resistance, and brought him before a Kavala public prosecutor.
He was accused with insulting national symbols and resisting arrest, given a trial date, released but not allowed to leave Greece until the trial, and his car number plates were taken.
On Saturday, the Bulgarian disobeyed the limitations and drove his car to the Exochi border crossing, where he rejected attempts to stop him by speeding and driving through the barriers on both the Greek and Bulgarian sides, into Bulgarian territory.
Bulgarian police seized him and impounded his automobile, according to sources. The Drama police have also accused him with reckless driving and destroying public property.
