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June 02, 2021 – 23:33

The US government on Wednesday sanctioned 5 Bulgarian citizens and 64 related entities for involvement in corruption and organized crime.

The official announcement of the Treasury Department highlights the names of well-known Bulgarian businessman Vasil Kroumov Boykov, former MP Delyan Slavchev Peevski and former deputy director of the Bulgarian State Agency for Technical Operations, Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov.

Meanwhile, the sanctioned entities are mainly private companies affiliated with them, including media groups.

According to the American authorities, the persons in question, but also some of their collaborators, using public posts, have been involved in high-level corruption scandals./EuronewsAlbania

“We are declaring ‘non grata’ the former Bulgarian public officials, Alexander Manolev, Petar Haralampiev, Krasimir Tomov and Delyan Slavchev Peevski, as well as the current Bulgarian public official, Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov, because of their involvement in significant corruption.” announced today in a statement on its official website the US State Department.

“In their official capacities as Deputy Minister of Economy, Director of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and Chief Secretary of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, Manolev, Haralampiev and Tomov, respectively, were involved in corrupt acts undermining the rule of law and public trust. “Bulgarians in the democratic institutions of their government and public processes, including the use of their political influence and official power for personal gain,” said DASH.

“As a member of parliament, Peevski used Zhelyazkov, an official in the National Bureau for the Control of Special Intelligence Collection Equipment, as an intermediary and collaborator to sell influence and pay bribes to protect himself from public scrutiny. and to exert influence on key institutions and sectors in Bulgarian society ”.

The Treasury Department has also declared Peevski, Zhelyazkov and Bulgarian oligarch Vassil Boykov “non grata”, along with 64 entities owned and controlled by Boykov and Peevski, for their roles in public corruption, in accordance with Executive Order 13818 , which builds and implements the Magnitsky Global Act, responsible for human rights.

In addition to Manolev, Haralampiev, Tomov, Zhelyazkov and Peevski, the DASH declared their family members “non grata”.

“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to supporting the rule of law and strengthening democratic institutions in Bulgaria.”

“The United States supports all Bulgarians whose work pushes reforms forward, and the Department will continue to use its authority to promote accountability for corrupt actors in the region and globally.”

Today, the Speaker of the Parliament, Glauk Konjufca, received the Ambassador of Bulgaria, Hristo Gudjev.

Ambassador Gudjev congratulated the Speaker of the Assembly on his new task and the constitution of the new institutions of the country, while also confirming Bulgaria’s readiness to deepen bilateral relations.

Gudjev reiterated the readiness of inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well as the support of the Bulgarian state for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic perspective.

Konjufca, thanking him for his support to Kosovo, congratulated Ambassador Gudjev on holding successful elections in Bulgaria, and expressed hope for continued cooperation with the new institutions of the Bulgarian state, with special emphasis on exchange. of experiences in various economic, educational and cultural fields.

“The situation with the pandemic and the efforts to provide vaccines was also in the focus of the meeting, in which case it was concluded that the fight against the pandemic remains the main priority of our state institutions,” the press release reads. / Voice