The wife of the notorious former director of the state-owned heating utility Toplofikatsia Sofia has been arrested in a police operation targeting blackmailers.

The tip-off was sent by a business lady, whom the suspects pressed to pay BGN 30 000 so that the contract between her company and Sofia heating utility is not suspended. Stanislava Dimitrova, 25, and another three men were detained as they were handed BGN 10 000, the first installment of the requirement sum.

The four suspects will remain behind bars for 24 hours.

Valentin Dimitrov and another five co-defendants are accused of embezzling nearly BGN 2 M from Toplofikatsiya’s finances for the period from 2003 to 2006. The money was allegedly spent on fuel, promotional materials, Jacuzzis, jet-skis and other luxury goods.

Dimitrov was arrested after the heating utility had to file for bankruptcy in 2005. In addition to the lavish purchases, it was discovered Toploto has wired over EUR 1,5 M in an Austrian bank. Huge amounts were also found in his mother's accounts and in safe deposit boxes. The transactions took place during the 1999 – 2006 period.

The scandal led to the dismissal of then Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov in June 2007, after a senior investigator accused the minister of trying to blackmail him and influence the investigation.

Last summer Dimitrov was sentenced to 14 years behind bars on another charge – money draining from the Heating Utility. He is appealing the sentence and the Court is yet to rule on the appeal.

In May 2008 Dimitrov was also sentenced to five years in jail, for not declaring BGN 10 M to the tax authorities while he was manager of Pro Mark ltd.

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