The construction businessman Veliko Zhelev was released by the prosecutor’s office on a bail of BGN 20,000. He has been charged with extortion following a complaint by his former employee. Zhelev was arrested during an operation by the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office in his offices in Sofia a few days ago.
On Wednesday, the state prosecution gave more details about the proceedings against the entrepreneur. It is clear from the announcement that the search of his offices was requested on the day that regional minister Ivan Shishkov announced that Sofia’s Northern expressway has a thinner layer of asphalt than required. The project was built by Zhelev’s company, and Shishkov said that the case will be dealt with by the European Prosecutor’s Office, because money from funds was spent.
Surprisingly, however, Bulgarian investigators seized computers and documents from the builder’s offices. They justified the action with a complaint from his former employee Blagoi Andonov, who claimed that he was beaten by Zhelev and two other people after a scandal about the company’s obligations. It is clear from the prosecutor’s announcement that it was acted on expeditiously, and the beaten man first went to an investigating police officer and only the next day presented a medical examination. It became clear from him that the bodily injury inflicted on him was not average, as the investigation was initially initiated, but light.
The nut and the asphalt
On February 28, Shishkov stated that 1/3 of the total 20-centimeter layer of asphalt on the tangent was missing. On the same day, a prosecutor from the district prosecutor’s office asked the court for permission to search and seize Zhelev’s offices. It was granted, and the case was assigned to an investigating officer on March 6. In the evening of the same day, the businessman was arrested. Four days earlier, on March 2, Shishkov said that the project would be handled by the European Prosecutor’s Office.
Urgent
The beating that Andonov complained about took place on February 24. The case was opened on the same day in “conditions of urgency”. This is the only scenario in which the Ministry of Internal Affairs can start an investigation without the permission of a prosecutor.
The urgency is justified by the “first action of the investigation” – questioning of the victim. The proceeding is for medium bodily injury. According to NK, this is a serious health disorder – permanent weakening of vision or hearing, difficulty in moving limbs, fractures, knocking out teeth, disfigurement, etc.
The next day, medical documentation was presented. It is clear from her that the injuries are minor. A prosecutor gives directions to seize camera footage, if any, as well as documents.
On Wednesday, prosecutors determined that the case must be extortion. So the materials were sent to the city prosecutor’s office.
According to the investigators, Zhelev tried to force his employee to sign a promissory note for BGN 68,000. He agreed with her that he owed the company the amount.
Zhelev was released on bail because there is no evidence that he can abscond, nor does he have a criminal past.
“A simple household story” and something else
The businessman’s lawyer, Menko Menkov, likened the case to a “simple domestic story”, while Veliko Zhelev admitted that his detention may be related to the upcoming parliamentary elections on April 2. One of the largest construction contractors in our country commented on the case of his release from custody (March 8) in front of journalists.
“Of course, we are in the midst of elections, do you expect anything else” – this is how Veliko Zhelev answered when asked if there was a political undertone in his arrest.
The first thing he said was to thank the law enforcement authorities, who he said had been “correct” and that he had fully cooperated in the investigation of the case.
He then explained that the investigation against him had nothing to do with the construction of highways and the work of the companies, but was related to the allegations of his former employee Blagoi Andonov.
“It is insulting to me that I believed a young boy whom I turned from a technician into a director of construction at VDH. A young boy who you give a chance and he betrays you for BGN 1,000.”said Veliko Zhelev.
The construction contractor stated that neither he nor any of his employees had ever hit Blagoi Andonov. Veliko Zhelev said that he presented evidence of this to the court – a recording from the video cameras. In his words, the recording shows that Blagoi Andonov “leaves my office in a flourishing state”. The next day he goes skiing in Pamporovo, uploading photos from there on his Facebook page on the Internet, Zhelev added.
Regarding Andonov’s claims to the prosecutor’s office that Zhelev made him sign documents with false content for BGN 68,000, the businessman said that he did not want to sign anything. “This is beyond ridiculous. He has stolen much more money”said Zhelev.
He explained that Blagoi Andonov was responsible for railway construction at “VDH” and had nothing to do with highway construction. After inspecting the sites for which Andonov is responsible, they found that they were at a loss, with poor work organization and behind schedule for completion. For this reason, he was fired for not handling the job, because “there are serious abuses”.
“When we parted, we were in my office. We invited all the people who were in the office to the next room and we went out together without any tension. In front of his colleagues, he told why he was leaving – because he misused money”Zhelev also claims.
According to his lawyer Menko Menkov, this happened in front of 44 employees from the company in the Hidrostroy office on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard in the capital. Andonov also left two pages of explanations. For this reason, Menkov asked the prosecutor’s office to “immediately” interrogate all 44 witnesses, because they “cannot be manipulated”, said lawyer Menkov.
When asked why the employee wrote an explanation to 44 people, he replied that February 24 was a working day and all employees were at the company’s office. On February 27, “VDH” reported the actions of its employee to the prosecutor’s office. Blagoi Andonov submitted the countersignal against Zhelev the next day – February 28.
“Our name is important to us. We will file a defamation case against Andonov for that.”said Veliko Zhelev.
Jelly: We have no worries about magistralithem
The businessman repeated several times that he has no worries about the construction of the highways, as well as any other object carried out by his companies. Explain in detail how it works.
Before that, his defender Menko Menkov explained to Nova TV that it would be even easier for him to defend against possible future accusations of saving materials for the construction of the Northern High Speed Tangent.
“My sewing will be even easier there, because the so-called press releases or some manipulations, showing of scrap nuts, not taken according to the legal order and according to any procedures from unknown what sections of unknown what roads and unknown by what procedures, before how many years done cannot be proof of anything”the lawyer said.
“A minister cannot take nuts (from the highway – note ed.) because he is not competent”added Menkov.
He pointed out that the Hidrostroy company carried out its own investigation with an independent laboratory.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Builders (KSB) in our country also branch chamber “Roads” (BBKP) came out with a statement in which they “categorically oppose the dissemination of misleading and false information about the implementation of infrastructure projects”.
“Probably because of the approaching extraordinary parliamentary elections on April 2 and the upcoming regular local elections in the fall, untenable attacks against construction companies for poorly executed projects are becoming more frequent. As always before, the position of the KSB and the BBKP is that they do not accept the construction industry being drawn into political battles,” the release also said.
The two branch organizations welcome the desire of the Minister of Regional Development Arch. Ivan Shishkov to check how the state and European funds were spent, but “the announcement of estimated and not final results creates incorrect suggestions and turns the checks into a sham”.
