Smile, Switch, Spend: Photo with Peevski Precedes Green Light for State Funding
On June 3, the mayor of Momchilgrad, Ilknur Kyazim, publicly aligned with Delyan Peevski’s “DPS–New Beginning” faction, distancing herself from Ahmed Dogan’s faction
Tsvetan Vasilev, the former owner of the Corporate Commercial Bank (CCB), claimed that the bank had financed Delyan Peevski's family with approximately 500 million leva until mid-2013. Vasilev made these statements during a hearing before a temporary parliamentary committee investigating the influence of Petyo Petrov, known as Pepi "The Euro," and Martin Bojanov, nicknamed "The Notary."
Vasilev revealed that many of Peevski's family's projects, particularly in the media sector, were funded by CCB under pressure. However, by mid-2013, it became apparent that Peevski had no intention of repaying the loans, which were inadequately secured, prompting the bank to demand additional collateral. Until the fall of 2013, Peevski was a reliable payer, but Vasilev indicated that a different decision was made thereafter, leading to a breakdown in their relationship.
Parallel to this conflict, Vasilev noted that investigative procedures against CCB accelerated, allegedly influenced by Petyo Petrov, who was close to Peevski. Vasilev accused Petrov of being a key participant in the attack on CCB, and stated that Petrov's ex-wife provided American authorities with information about his activities. Vasilev also mentioned that he had first met Petrov through Peevski in 2005-2006.
The hearing took place amid a tense atmosphere, with deputies Hamid Hamid and Stanislav Anastasov, allies of Peevski, attacking committee chairman Nadezhda Yordanova, accusing her of being a puppet and serving Russian interests. They also labeled Vasilev as the "fraudster of the century." Despite these objections, the committee proceeded with Vasilev's testimony.
During the hearing, Vasilev responded to the attacks by accusing the Russian bank VTB of stealing "Vivacom" with Peevski's help. He denied any business dealings with Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, stating that his post-CCB interactions were with Pierre Louvrier. Vasilev also claimed that during a meeting with Russian Duma deputy Alexander Babakov, he was told that Russia had paid Bulgaria commissions of 100 million euros for the South Stream gas project.
The committee's session was marked by technical difficulties, with reports that the parliamentary administration initially refused to provide equipment for Vasilev's hearing. Despite these challenges, the session continued with Vasilev's testimony being the main focus, as other key figures like Lozan Panov, Delyan Peevski, and acting interior minister Kalin Stoyanov did not attend.
On Tuesday, July 8, a series of pivotal decisions are set to unfold that could mark a turning point in Bulgaria’s modern history.
The leaders of Bulgaria’s primary intelligence services are set to appear before parliament this week amid heightened concerns over potential threats to the country’s upcoming entry into the eurozone
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has called on citizens not to rush into exchanging their levs for euros prematurely
With Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone nearing completion, GERB MP Raya Nazaryan emphasized that the euro should not be seen as a foreign currency, but rather as a shared European one
The number of refugees attempting to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border has dropped significantly in the past two years
Demonstrations opposing the planned adoption of the euro took place in several Bulgarian cities today
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