Stamenov not a flight risk, argues lawyer during bail bid

Lawyer William Booth said his client, Bulgarian fugitive Stanislav Stamenov, is not a flight risk and should be granted bail.

Stamenov wants to be set free pending his extradition to Romania, where he faces a 16-year sentence for drug trafficking.

He was sentenced in absentia in 2009, and an Interpol red notice was issued in 2018.

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Stamenov has lived in South Africa for over a decade and works as a personal trainer.

He appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but bail proceedings were postponed to allow further consultation with his legal team on aspects raised by the prosecution.

The State argues his South African residency, granted in 2019, was obtained fraudulently, alleging he failed to disclose his conviction.

Booth said there is a lot of confusion around the Romanian conviction and sentencing.

"It seems he was held in custody, and he was convicted and sentenced in his absence - that's the allegation. How that would happen is a complete mystery to me. If he was in custody, then he should have been there at the time the conviction and sentencing took place."

Meanwhile, the prosecution said formal extradition documents have not yet been received from Romania.