After Peevski, the Magnitsky Act must target his puppeteers. #LUSTRATION is crucial! Mind the horns!

The United States have sanctioned Delyan Peevski and Vassil Bozhkov, known as the Skull, under the global Magnitsky Act. Former MP Peevski has now been cut off from cash flows and condemned to civic death. But the move was not provoked by the billion-euro cigarette smuggling which contributed to the financing of terror groups. The sanctions were imposed over low-level appointeeism during the 2019 local elections. Never mind.

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Al Capone was also convicted for unpaid taxes, not murder. The question is whether this will now lead to the unravelling of billion-euro financial schemes, liberating Bulgaria from the grip of power structures rooted in the former communist regime and still pulling strings behind the scenes. Can real catharsis be achieved or is Peevski just going to be replaced by another puppet?

This unprecedented act is the nemesis for а long and dirty campaign carried out by Peevski’s propaganda outlets and Borissov’s weaponised institutions against the few surviving independent media who have been speaking openly about the hijacking of the state by a criminal circle of oligarchs. It is also recognition for the integrity and perseverance of honest journalism.

For 10 years we have never stopped repeating that where there is smoke there is fire. That Delyan Peevski and his alter ego Boyko Borissov are the product of a system rooted in the sinister communist-time state security services. That behind Peevski, behind agent Buddha (the former state security services’ alias for Borissov), there are specific persons named Brigo Asparuhov, Paraskev Paraskevov, the now deceased Rumen Andreev and Angel Angelov, their product Ahmed Dogan (agent Sava) and likely also other representatives of the former state security First department, people who have been steering Bulgaria’s post-communist transition according to their perverse principles, under the control of their Kremlin masters.

The other big name added to the Magnitsky list is Vassil Bozhkov, nicknamed the Skull. He has also been the subject of a number of Bivol investigations, some of them published by prestigious international outlets.

Before turning into a runaway dissident, the Skull was also Peevski’s partner. Their joint project Lafka was a chain of kiosks selling the tickets in Bozhkov’s lottery. His most trusted man is Georgi Popov, known as agent Kitin. United States authorities claim he bribed a top level politician, currently a political party leader. Who could it be? Bozhkov has said himself that he used to pay bribes to Boyko Borissov, via his finance minister Goranov.

WHO?!

Bivol is the only publication that has documented the connection between Peevski and Paraskevov. The Panama Papers have revealed the actual owner of some of Peevski’s key offshore businesses – attorney Sasho Angelov.

He is the son of Paraskev Paraskevov, a high ranking officer in the communist state security services, deputy director of the former National Service for the Protection of the Constitution (NSPC) and deputy interior minister in Jean Videnov’s government.

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Now that Washington has made the first step, it should go all the way and reveal the full extent of corruption, following the money. It should target those close to Peevski – his creators, his political mentors, his proxies and money-launderers. The sanctions should reach those who hold the key to Peevski’s billions, which he is now too toxic to use himself.

Bivol has investigated and carefully studied that small circle of trusted cronies over the years. Here are the most prominent among them:

Ahmed Dogan (a.k.a. agent Sava) and his next-in-command Yordan Tsonev – the political umbrella over the child prodigy. No further clarification is needed.

Brigo Asparuhov – who publicly admitted having recommended Borissov for the highest office of the state. He also covered up agent Rumyantsev, the state security officer who recruited Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha – the man that brought in the so-called yuppies’ government and whose party’s youth organization launched Delyan Peevski into his stellar career, starting with his appointment as Varna Port CEO.

Paraskev Paraskevov – he is no longer secretive and even signs the documents for Peevski’s purchases of lobbying services in the USA.

Attorney Sasho Angelov

Attorney Sasho Angelov – son of Paraskevov, owner of Peevski’s offshore businesses and the person who controls their bank accounts.

Attorney Geno Andreev

Attorney Geno Andreev – son of Rumen Genov Andreev, a high ranking officer from the former state security services, long-time head of the National Investigation Service and deputy interior minister in Sergey Stanishev‘s government.

Ivan Mirinski – former nominal owner of Vodstroy 98 who launders Peevski’s money through real estate in Greece.

Ivan Mirinski

Less known Peevski proxies from the list of people who could be appointed managers at BT Invest – the company that owns Bulgartabak – were identified by Bivol back in 2015:

Yavor Nikolaev Draganov
Angel Dimitrov Dimitrov

Svetoslav Emanuilov Mladenov (After this article was published, Svetoslav Mladenov contacted our office and expressed dismay at his name being on the list. He was adamant that he did not know the other persons mentioned and had never done any business with companies linked to Bulgartabak.)

Miglena Petrova Hristova
Martin Todorov Petrov
Luben Lubenov Dimitrov

Bulgartabac Mafia I

That is the way to find the money, the billions Peevski and his puppeteers have generated through smuggling, through arms trade, money sleeping hidden in offshore account or materialising in the shape of expensive property all over the world.

Those billions and the kompromats in the hands of former first- department officers are the real power that controls Bulgaria’s toxic post-communist transition.

How Much Does Peevski Weigh? BGN 1.5 Billion!

Cutting off those corrupt financial flows through the Magnitsky Act is a gift from the USA. The civil and political verdict for the former state security kompromat-holders, however, has to be passed by us, Bulgarians, through complete and thorough #LUSTRATION after the coming election.

Translator: Vassilena Dotkova

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