The man who was shot dead by two unknown attackers in downtown Sofia Tuesday noon is the controversial radio and TV host Bobi Tsankov.

The news has been confirmed by the Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov.

30-year-old Tsankov and two other men were shot at close to the St. Nedelya Cathedral – between the Samuil Str. and the Alexander Stamboliyski Blvd, in front of a branch of CIBank, near a KFC restaurant.

Bobi Tsankov is a known as a controversial journalist. According to various reports in the Bulgarian media, Tsankov was about to follow the steps of Bulgarian mafia stories writer Georgi Stoev by making important revelations about organized crime in Bulgaria. Stoev was shot dead in Sofia in April 2008. Many have already drawn parallels between the murders of Georgi Stoev and Bobi Tsankov.

In November 2003, a bomb went off in a building in the centre of Sofia at the Neofit Rilski and Tsar Asen Str. The bomb was placed in front of the apartment of the parents of the controversial radio anchor Bobi Tsankov. The family of Tsankov was home during the blast but no one was injured.

Tsankov was allegedly linked to the attempted murder on 35-year-old Vanya Chervenkova that filed a claim against him. Chervenkova has brought a lawsuit against Tsankov, claiming that she had paid the radio anchor some BGN 50,000 for advertising. However, Tsankov never broadcasted any ads of Chervenkova's mineral water brand.

In 2004, he was injured in an evident attempt on his life when a hand-made bomb exploded in front of his home. The name of Bobi Tsankov, once host at a local radio, was involved in a suit against him upon charges of blackmailing. According to unofficial information, investigation has spread over probable links with underworld boss Anton Miltenov, dubbed the Beak who was murdered in Sofia in July 2005.

In February 2006, Bobi Tsankov, after shifting from radio to TV anchoring, was arrested Tsankov on fraud charges. Nearly 100 complaints had been filed at the Economic Police by citizens who claim the journalist incurred them financial losses.

In November 2009, Bulgarian Police arrested drugs kingpin ‘Jacket’ (Sako) in Sofia after he chased former radio host Bobi Tsankov through the streets of the capital in his car. ‘Jacket’ is also reported to have made previous threats against Tsankov’s life. Tsankov called the police while being chased.

Tsankov said that he had been chased in his car from the South Park in Sofia to the traffic lights in the City Center from where he managed to escape. He alleged ‘Jacket’ was attempting to stop him writing about another famous mafia boss Metodi Metodiev a.k.a. Meto Ilienski being alive when he was thought by the authorities to be dead.

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