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Bulgaria's conservative Order, Law and Justice party (RZS) held a briefing Friday at party headquarters dedicated to scandalous revelations about properties of the Chair of the Sofia municipal council, Andrey Ivanov.
Ivanov, who is from the ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, was a long-time police officer. In 2007, he became a municipal councilman, on the personal recommendations of now Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov. He was at first listed as number 8 on the GERB ballot, but has been moved to the first slot over Tsvetanov's insistence. On July 15, 2010, he headed the municipal council, again of Tsvetanov's request, a representative of the RZS legal department told the media.
Ivanov says he knew Tsvetanov since 1996, but the Conservatives claim they were told by other employees of the Interior that the friendship dated from 1987 – the time of the Communist regime, adding the Municipal Council Chair, had, on purpose, concealed important moments of his biography such as working at the now-closed Ministry of Emergency Situations and Disasters.
RZS further presented notary deeds, according to which:
Between 1995 and 1998, Ivanov, as a police employee, acquired a penthouse with two parking garages, a grocery store, a pizza parlor, a bingo club, and a pasty shop in the Sofia's "Lyulin" district.
While working at Sofia's main police directorate, he got a 70-square-meter apartment in the "Mladost" district, 5 land plots in "Mihaylovo," the building rights of 39 cooperative stores, a 120-square-meter studio on "Saedinenie" street and another penthouse in the affluent "Bankiya" suburb.
During his times as a "businessman," Ivanov became the owner of another land plot where he build a large house with a swimming pool, another apartment, a land plot of 22 000 square meters in "Bankiya," (enough to build an entire development, RZS say), a land plot in the "Dragalevtsi" suburb, an entire 3-story apartment building through his construction company, an apartment of 120 square meters in the Sofia "Slatina" district, and another land plot in "Bankiya" for EUR 120 000.
According to RZS, rough estimates show properties valued at BGN 60 M , while the most modest appraisals would be for BGN 10 M.
In addition, as a businessman Ivanov officially owned 8 private companies, including the one managing the taxi shuttles in Sofia.
"It is curious how someone with a State job would have the time to oversee all this," the Conservatives said Friday.
RZS further informed Ivanov's wife is listed as one of the major GERB donors with BGN 9 000, and she also has an impressive business career.
Andrey Ivanov is said to be abroad, on a 5-day paid leave since October 25, voted by the municipal council.
After the briefing, he distributed through the council, a letter to the media, promising to answer all reporters' questions upon his return.
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