In the case surrounding a nearly 150 million leva loan from the Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) to a company linked to Rumen Gaitanski - "The Wolf", three individuals have now been charged. The case, initially dismissed in 2023, has been reopened under the charge of "embezzlement on a particularly large scale, constituting a particularly serious case." This charge carries a potential sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and asset confiscation, according to a recent prosecutor's briefing.

The investigation has an intriguing history. It began in October 2022, based on a tip-off, although the loan in question dates back to 2019. In May 2023, the case was dismissed by the prosecutor due to a lack of evidence, a decision later upheld by the Appellate Prosecutor's Office.

However, the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office later identified gaps in the investigation, particularly regarding the connections between the companies that received the loan funds. They found no evidence to support the original charges but returned the case for further investigation, suggesting the possibility of other crimes. The case was reassigned in January 2024, leading to its reclassification as embezzlement.

Subsequent investigative efforts included extensive witness interrogations and the gathering of documents from BDB, the National Revenue Agency (NRA), and other entities. Later, the case was handed over to an investigator, with an inspector from the Anti-Corruption Commission taking a leading role in the searches and seizures conducted at Gaitanski's properties.

Both Gaitanski and Stoyan Mavrodiev, another key figure in the case, have been charged in absentia and are currently being sought by authorities. There is no confirmation that they have fled. Meanwhile, the third defendant, Ivan Georgiev, a representative of "Rodway Constructions," the company that received the loan, is in custody.

Mavrodiev is charged as the main perpetrator, Gaitanski as the instigator, and Georgiev as an accomplice. Prosecutors have not yet determined whether Ahmed Dogan, the owner of TPP-Varna and honey chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), will face charges related to the case, as they continue to analyze potential complicity from other BDB officials. Additional charges, including money laundering, are also under consideration.

Deputy City Prosecutor Deyan Zahariev emphasized that the investigation may expand to involve other individuals connected to BDB. His colleague, Deputy City Prosecutor and spokeswoman Desislava Petrova, urged for political non-interference, asserting that the Prosecutor's Office of Bulgaria operates independently of political pressures and should be allowed to carry out its duties without external influence.

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