Russian Honorary Consul in Bulgaria's Burgas Accused of Human Trafficking

Society | March 19, 2009, Thursday // 09:19
Russian Honorary Consul in Bulgaria’s Burgas Accused of Human Trafficking: Russian Honorary Consul in Bulgaria's Burgas Accused of Human Trafficking Young women from the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas allege that the Honorary Russian Consul in the city has soled them into prostitution in Germany. Photo by BGNES

Russia's Honorary Consul in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas has been accused of being involved in human trafficking.

The information was provided by several girls, who participated in a press conference in Burgas, and were cited by Darik radio.

The young women, who wore hats, wigs, sun glasses and were introduced under different aliases, stated they were sold into prostitution in Germany in 2007.

One of the girls, "Maria," declared that she used to work at a night club in Burgas and the Russian Consul has been one of her regular customers. The Consul had invited "Maria" and her girlfriend "Nevena" to a hotel in the "Sunny Beach" resort, near Burgas. "Nevena", 15-years-old at the time had refused sex with the man. The two were then put in a black SUV and believed they were going to be taken back to Burgas. Instead they ended in the city of Plovdiv to obtain fake passports. The very same evening, the girls were taken to Greece and later transported to Germany. They received death threats in case they decided to obstruct the deal.

In Germany, Maria and Nevena began working as prostitutes while all their earnings have been taken away. Through "customers", who have grown fond of them, they managed to get in touch via the internet with an unidentified Bulgarian woman, who gave them money for airline tickets. Two years later, the girls were able to return to Sofia.

The young women were adamant they were sold into prostitution by the Russian Consul because their pimp had told them so.

"He sold us because we made him mad. Many other girls have told me that he is the Russian Consul, and I have seen him as well - on pictures and on TV," one of the girls stated at the press conference.

The Burgas Honorary Russian Consul, Tonko Fotev, told Darik radio that the entire thing has been staged to discredit him and involved EUR 2,5 M embezzled from a Russian company by their Bulgarian partner.

 

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Tags: Russia’s Honorary Consul, Burgas, human trafficking, prostitution

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