Newest Sofia Kidnapping Victim Is Prominent Businessman

The missing Vene Sotirov is a prominent businessman with shares in over 10 companies and cooperative businesses. Photo by “Zemya”

64-year-old Sofia businessman, Vene Vasilev Sotirov, has been kidnapped Thursday night in the Sofia "Suhata Reka" district.

The latest details were reported by Darik radio Friday.

According to the Darik information, there have been four abductors - two dressed as policemen, but with uncovered faces and two with hoods bearing a "police" inscription.

The perpetrators, allegedly, forced the businessman into an automobile and drove with extremely high speed in the direction of the town of Botevgrad, east of Sofia.

Vene Sotirov is a prominent businessman, the daily "24 hours" further informs. The information system "Ciela" lists him as shareholder in over 10 companies and cooperative businesses. Until 1995, Sotirov has been a member of the Board of the First East International Bank along with the "Slavya" Football Club President, Ventseslav Stefanov (Stefanov's son was kidnapped five years ago and his whereabouts are still unknown), the former Member of the Parliament from the National Movement for Stability and Progress Party (NMSP), Dimitar Lambovski and the businessman, Georgi Lyalev.

Until 1996, Sotirov, has also been part of the management of the "Central Cooperative Bank."

In an interview on January 26, 2009 for the "Zemya" (Land) newspaper, Sotirov says that he has 10 stores, with the most profitable one being in Sofia's "Vrazhdebna" district with a monthly turnover of BGN 120,000. Sotirov further mentions stores in Sofia's "Buhovo" and "Dolni Bogrov" suburbs and stores in the town of Pernik and nearby villages.

At the end of 2008, Sotirov was involved in a business dispute, described in detail by the "Tema" magazine, and connected to one of Sotirov's companies, which is listed as the smallest Sofia transportation firm. The company services just one bus line - between "Buhovo" and adjacent villages and downtown Sofia. Sotirov has accused another bus company in disloyal competition because it served the same route and always left a few minutes earlier then Sotirov's vehicle, thus picking all passengers along the route.

According to the "Tema" publication, Sotirov had overwhelmed the City Hall with complaints and had been supported by the municipal councilmen from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)

People close to Sotirov say that he is a very wealthy individual, but also had incurred significant debt lately.

 

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