Number of Bulgarian Officials Exposed in Tax Evasion

A large number of Bulgarian magistrates, mayors, senior officials and politicians have failed to declare family income and property in 2012.

The information was reported Monday by the National Audit Office, NAO, which after a check found irregularities in 291 tax declarations.

The Head of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, DKEVR, Angel Semerdzhiev, for example, failed to declare the purchase and the sale of an apartment and a parking space in the Black Sea town of Nessebar, and a BGN 90 000 bank mortgage for the said property.

The Head of the National Health Insurance Fund, NZOK, Plamen Tsekov, has omitted to declare income from other activities, beyond his NZOK leadership, in the amount of BGN 21 905 and several properties owned by him such as an yard in the Danube town of Lom and an apartment in the Danube city of Vidin.

The spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Vesela Cherneva, failed to declare income of her husband in the amount of BGN 13 000. The Chief of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior Ministry, Valeri Yordanov, had not declared company stakes acquired by his spouse.

NAO established omissions in declarations of Members of the Parliament from almost all parliamentary represented parties while tax declarations of local mayors and municipal council people include the most numerous discrepancies - 160.

The list of violators also includes prosecutors, judges, and investigators. Under the law, it must be sent to the National Revenue Agency, NRA, for follow-up actions.

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