Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture

At least 20 people were arrested on Monday for allegedly taking part in a corrupt scheme that streamlined the process of granting Bulgarian citizenship to foreigners, the Specialised Prosecution announced.

Delyan Peevski of the Movement of Rights and Freedoms was the Bulgarian politician who enriched himself the most in 2017, according to the property and interests declarations published on Monday by the Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture, CIAF.

Bulgaria has frozen assets, property and bank accounts belonging to businessman and media owner Ivo Prokopiev, who said the state was trying to silence the country's independent media.

A record-high BGN 18.5 M in property has been confiscated on behalf of the state after it was discovered that the assets have been acquired illegally. Another BGN 13 M in property have to be ruled on by the court. Thus, the total amount will reach BGN 20 M in assets confiscated with sentences that have entered into force.

At its regular meeting on Wednesday, the Bulgarian government adopted a draft law on the prevention of corruption and forfeiture of illegally acquired property.

The bill foresees the creation of united anti-corruption body - national bureau for prevention of corruption and forfeiture of illegally acquired property.

A government agency in charge of forfeiting illegal assets announced on Thursday it had filed a claim against Tsvetan Vasilev, the majority shareholder of insolvent Corporate Commercial Bank (Corpbank or KTB).

At a press conference, the Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture (CIAF) accused Vasilev of unlawfully acquiring BGN 2.2 B (EUR 1.12 B), BGN 1.4 B of them being secured.

Lawsuits brought by authorities against Bulgarian Parliament ex-Deputy Speaker Hristo Biserov and his stepson will be worth over BGN 7 M, an official has said.

"This is the sum that, as we maintain, has passed through bank accounts and is of inexplicable origin," Plamen Georgiev, who heads Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture (CIAF) told private national NOVA TV station.

The Sofia City Court has impounded property worth BGN 1 555 883 owned by former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hristo Biserov and his stepson, Ivaylo Glavinkov.

The measure was requested by the Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture (CIAF), according to reports of the BGNES news agency.

Property worth BGN 900 000 owned by two people convicted of production and trafficking of drugs has been seized at the request of the Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture.