US Ambassador and FBI Prompt Bulgaria's In Absentia Charges Against Ruja Ignatova

The Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office, together with the US government, has announced plans to indict Ruja Ignatova in absentia, offering a reward of up to 5 million US dollars for information leading to her arrest or conviction. This development underscores ongoing efforts to tackle international financial fraud involving Ignatova and her role in the OneCoin pyramid scheme.

At a joint press conference in the Courthouse, Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov, US Ambassador Kenneth Merten, and State Agency "National Security" Head Plamen Tonchev outlined the collaboration between Bulgaria and the US in investigating criminal activities related to OneCoin. The specifics of the charges against Ignatova under Bulgarian law were not disclosed during the conference, which did not include a Q&A session with journalists.

Ambassador Merten emphasized the US government's commitment to cooperating with Bulgaria's law enforcement agencies to bring Ignatova and other perpetrators of transnational crimes to justice. Ignatova, a German citizen born in Bulgaria, faces charges in both the US and Germany for orchestrating one of the largest fraud schemes in history, which allegedly defrauded investors of over 4 billion USD through false promises and misrepresentations about OneCoin.

Plamen Tonchev detailed the operational aspects of OneCoin, highlighting its registration in Gibraltar's offshore jurisdiction and its global network marketing operations, particularly in the Middle East and Far East regions. He also mentioned ongoing efforts by Bulgarian authorities, including the seizure of substantial illicit funds and forthcoming actions to confiscate properties acquired with illegally obtained funds.

Temporary Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov expressed...