To: senior lieutenant P. Benev
Cc: Mr Director of Regional Police Department, Varna
Cc: Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sofia
26-Jul-2003
Re: Handing a subpoena without explanation
Dear Mr Benev and Mr Director of RPD-Varna,
On 26 July, 2003, at about 10:30 a.m., the door bell of my apartment rang. I opened the door and saw two strangers in civilian clothes. They presented themselves as Economy Police and told me to sign a subpoena from the RPD-Varna addressed to me. On the subpoena was only written "for enquiry" in connection with correspondence "13792/2003". I asked them to come in and explain me. The did not desire to come in, they did not explain me. Consequently, I refused to sign the subpoena. After my refusal to sign the subpoena, instead of persuading me with true information, the unfamiliar police officers told me that I was prejudiced and left in angry mood. After that I read on the back of the subpoena "Art. 281. (1) Whoever, without any valid reasons, does not appear in the places under art. 67, para 1, after they have been legitimately subpoenaed, shall be fined from BGL 50,000 to BGL100,000."
I ask you to answer this only question:
According to art. 67. (1) "the message should explicitly indicate the aim of the subpoena, the hour and the place of appearance", and my subpoena indicates only the general "for enquiry". Otherwise, the hour and the place are exactly specified. Can the formulation "for enquiry … in connection with correspondence 13792/2003" be accepted as an explicit indication of the aim of the subpoena after I am not at all acquainted with correspondence 13792/2003?
