/ world today news/ Dragomira Stanoeva’s interview with Asen Yordanov, a journalist from the website “Bivol”
Information has appeared on your site about the TIM group. Can you tell us more about this group?
Things are written. It’s clear what it’s about.
Is it true that there is patronage from the resigned Prime Minister Borissov to the TIM group?
There are two facts that are indisputable. One fact is that he has been in cahoots with TIM leaders over the years. In particular, in the production of contraband cigarettes near Burgas, this is described in our investigations, the company “Tel International”.
The other fact is that GERB for the first time in the person of its regional governor of Varna, we have also written this, there is an investigation. He has given exclusive rights through the form of a manager to a company that belongs to this grouping – to act with the full powers of the state as a state institution.
Until now, some TEAMs were in the shadows…
In the shadows, but popular protests brought them into the light. They were not in the shadows, they were not known in other parts of Bulgaria. In Varna, what exploded actually brought them to light. You know the self-immolation of Plamen Goranov, the daily protests that take place there, the slogans in Varna that go out. In fact, the public in Varna recognized in this grouping – a neo-feudal structure that conquers the entire economic, social, political, media life in Varna. And practically it has colonized the entire region.
The biggest problem that exists and which is the catalyst of this public tension in Varna is the problem with the Sea Garden of Varna.
I don’t know this thing if you know it. We wrote this investigation – how the state empowers the TIM and turns people into a state institution, empowers the TIM. If possible, find the article in “Bivol”.
It concerns the ownership of First Avenue in the Sea Garden, which has been sold to TIM and the subsequent disposal actions to be taken in this alley. To be more specific, we are talking about the entire coastal territory of the Sea Garden in Varna, the greater part of it, which has actually been sold to a private company that belongs to the group, and accordingly the municipality agrees on all building permits for this part of the public area of the Sea Garden, which has over a hundred years of history, to be built up with restaurants, casinos, entertainment venues, etc. and to be converted into a private province, that is, from a public area, to become an area that benefits private individuals.
And then the GERB government, since a lot of coordination decisions are required, actions by the state in the form of a regional government, along with the coordination of building permits, etc., to facilitate all this, they simply give powers to this company “Chemimport”.
This is exactly how it was described in a power of attorney that was published by us about two years ago.
What do you expect to happen after your investigation from now on?
We released this about two years ago and nothing happened.
Yes, but now supported by new information…
The public in Varna rose up. What is very important is that in Varna there is an absolute intransigence towards this status quo. At the moment, a public referendum procedure is underway on the fate of First Avenue of the Sea Garden. There is an initiative by the non-governmental organization “Sopa” in Varna to hold a public referendum – whether all transactions with state lands that have been sold in the area of the Sea Garden should not be implemented. This thing is currently in progress. So, it won’t stop.
How do you comment on the resignation of Kiril Yordanov?
This resignation of Kiril Yordanov is very late. He is one of the direct culprits for the situation in Varna. Kiril Yordanov should be investigated. After his resignation is accepted, he must be forced to undergo a very detailed prosecutorial investigation.
Are you saying that he is also involved with the TIM group…
He is involved in all cases and it is known in Varna that he is directly dependent. Yordanov was elected with the support of these structures as mayor during all these 14 years in which he ruled. However, there is something that, in my opinion, is a danger – not to draw too much attention to the mayor Kiril Yordanov and to cover up the other culprits. All public attention has focused on Yordanov and to divert public attention in Varna from the main culprits, who are actually in the government.
A lot of things are happening around the protests and distracting people…
It is a conscious tendency to distract, to exhaust protest, to split, to disbelieve that anything real can be done – this thing is underway. In general, these attempts will not succeed, because public patience has already been absolutely exhausted and the processes are irreversible. This is the first reason.
The second reason is very important, which is why they will not be able to replace the agenda of popular discontent, that is, the stigmatization of the entire political and economic system of monopolizing public, economic and media life in the country and imposing a new dictatorship – this is actually the reason for all this popular uprising.
The second factor is that Bulgaria is very clearly defined on the world map of the processes that are happening at the moment, on a global scale. One of the glowing bright red points along with Syria, Iran and in general the situation that is happening in some Latin American countries, Egypt, etc. Bulgaria is already marked and focused, and is under international monitoring.
We all saw how quickly the EU put Bulgaria on the Schengen ban list. We saw what was the statement of the European Commissioner for Corruption, Cecilia Malström, who said that Bulgaria is the most corrupt country in Europe, and what was the statement of the German Minister of the Interior, just a few days ago, when he very clearly and firmly stated that Germany will block any requests of Bulgaria for membership in the Schengen area. Extremely severe judgments from the most authoritative international circles regarding the management and state of the state. These are sentences against the rulers of Bulgaria until now – very severe international sentences.
Public attention should not be diverted from this problem.
Mayor Kiril Yordanov is a derivative, he is not the cause. It is a derivative of the entire vicious status quo of state governance in recent years. Responsibility for the fact that Kiril Yordanov was re-elected in Varna lies directly and directly with Boyko Borisov and GERB, who firmly stood behind him. Borisov personally stated that he has full confidence in Yordanov and absolutely relies on him, and gives him all his political and personal support.
Is GERB not running away from responsibility at the moment?
GERB is trying to get away and wants almost to free himself from his own responsibility, but there is no way to do it. They separated themselves from Kiril Yordanov under the pressure of the national uprising that arose in Varna. They cannot erase their actions and the responsibilities they bear. Any criminal can disassociate himself and say that he is sorry for the crime he has committed, but that does not absolve him of responsibility for what he has done.
Likewise with GERD. They branched out from Kiril Yordanov, they are trying to repent, but in no case does this release them from the responsibility and guilt they have for the situation that exists in Varna. Both in Yordanov’s relations and in the actions they performed to serve private, economic, oligarchic interests, which were served with the means of state power.
Don’t you think that what people want can be delayed?
What does it mean to slow down? It’s inevitable, it’s going to happen anyway. Now the authorities are trying to enter into bureaucratic procedures to delay the process, but they will not succeed.
#Boyko #Borisov #partner #leaders #TIM
