Bulgaria Interior Minister Takes up Case of Cheated Brits in Bansko

British citizens protest before the Four Seasons Complex in Bansko shortly before they stormed it in order to occupy their own properties. Photo by BGNES

Top Bulgarian officials have taken up investigating the case of defrauded UK buyers after the British families protested in the mountain resort of Bansko on Wednesday.

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has announced that a special investigation has already been launched, and that he has personally coordinated it with the Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev.

The Deputy Director of the Criminal Police Directorate and the Appellate Prosecutor of Sofia, Vicho Vichev, have already left for the southwestern city of Blagoevgrad in order to meet with the Blagoevgrad District Prosecutor and police head regarding the Bansko properties of the British citizens. Tsvetanov has said that the Sofia officials might go to Bansko in person if they need to as part of their investigation.

“This case is generating tension that is unacceptable to us. We need to examine it in detail in order to bring justice and to assure the British citizens that their rights are protected, and they can occupy their property,” the Interior Minister declared.

Seventy-four Brits stormed Wednesday an apartment complex in Bansko as an act of protest as they have been denied access to their properties in it.

The angry UK citizens called for justice and sticking to the laws and hinted that the sham owners are enjoying protection by high-level officials.

The investors are accusing the Bulgarian real estate company "Zekom" and its director, Roman Romanov, of illicit dealing. They say that Romanov lied not only to them, but to the real estate agency involved in the transactions - "Rockarch Estates", a London-based company.

The Brits had bought up to 70 apartments at a "green" stage, paying out more that GBP 6 M between them, but they still cannot gain access to their properties.

The current problem with the Bansko complex is that the owners, who are business former associates - Nadia Sabeva and Reneta Kachashka - are entrenched in a legal battle.

Nadia Sabeva had sold 70% of the residential area to her partner Roman Romanov without notifying Kachashka, forging company documents and inserting false signatures on them on her behalf.

Kachashka has argued that her former associates Nadia Sabeva and Roman Romanov drained large sum of money from the company by forgery of documents and her signature, in order to sell on the luxury apartments in the Four Seasons Hotel to another of their companies.

The British group have already tried mass protests to draw attention to their ongoing problems. They held a similar demonstration outside the complex at the end of February, and attracted considerable attention in the British press.

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