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Employees of the company “Venice Marina,” associated with drug lord Hristoforos Amanatidis AKA Taki, have occupied the boat harbor in the natural reserve Ropotamo despite the terminated contract by the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters due to violations.<\/p>\n
Security guards of the reserve have called the police from the nearby town of Primorsko. The police cruiser visited the location, checked the situation and left. “It is not our job to protect the reserve,” said the head of the Police Department in Primorsko, Galin Sgurov in a statement of the Regional Police Directorate through speaker Tsvetelina Randeva. Sgurov redirected the commitment to protect the rule of law to Border Police, but they have responded that this was absurd.<\/p>\n
The job of the Interior Ministry, however, is to enforce the law, which, in this case, is obviously breached. This is clearly demonstrated by Bivol\u2019s research and investigations.<\/p>\n
Concession contracts with “Venice Marina” to manage “boating” on Ropotamo for tourists were suspended last year after a series of publications of Bivol which exposed illegal construction carried out by the company in the protected area. After the outburst of the scandal, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters in Burgas terminated the contract for the facilities on land, but let the contract for the boats. The Primorsko municipality stopped the construction, while illegal building and the sanctioning of offenders by the institution were upheld by all courts.<\/p>\n
The contracts with “Venice Marina” were signed by the former head of the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters in Burgas, Boycho Georgiev, who became infamous in the scandal known as Dunes Gate for his closeness with the destroyers of dunes from SLE group and the speedy construction permits in protected areas, which he signed for them.<\/p>\n
The public bid, held by Georgiev, for selection of contractor for leisure activities in the reserve was appealed by another party and was declared illegal by the Administrative Court in Burgas on February 28, 2014. Thus, in fact a breach has been already established in the closing of the lease agreements. The decision of the Administrative Court in Burgas can be appealed before the Supreme Administrative Court.<\/p>\n
Separately, in a letter with reference number 6177 from August 12, 2013, the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters in Burgas informed the company that because of illegal construction, it was unilaterally terminating the agreement for the boats, which was signed on October 24, 2012, and ordered \u201cVenice Marina\u201d to vacate in full the premises which are state property .<\/p>\n
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“Venice Marina” appealed the order of the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters in Burgas before the District Court, which on the first instance declared the contract valid. The Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters appealed that before the Court of Appeals. However, the termination is effective and the judicial appeal shall not prevent the order to vacate the premises, according to lawyers. The judicial procedure does not stop the execution of this order as well. Besides, there is a new ongoing public tender procedure for a new concession. “Venice Marina” Ltd. have purchased tender documents, according to information obtained by Bivol, which indirectly means that they, themselves, consider Boycho Georgiev\u2019s procedure invalid.<\/p>\n
“Venice” moved in in the Ropotamo harbor in the afternoon of March 28. According to border police, catamarans have entered the mouth and upstream Ropotamo in the direction of Atia.<\/p>\n