Mayor of Bulgaria’s Kardzhali Charged with Property Fraud

Kardzhali Mayor Hasan Azis (left) pictured here with the US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick during Warlick's visit to Kardzhali in February 2010. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged the Mayor of the southern city of Kardzhali, Hasan Azis, with committing fraud with municipal property.

According to the accusations, between January and June 2009, the Mayor of Kardzhali attempted to deceive Bulgaria’s former Minister of Finance Plamen Oresharski and former Minister of Regional Development Asen Gagauzov about the true value of a property in the city so that a firm called Ustra Holding Jsc would make a profit.

Ustra Holding Jsc is the owned of a plot of almost 16 000 square meters which was supposed to be expropriated in order to be used to reinforce the bank of the Arda River against floods.

With his actions Mayor Azis has deluded the Ministers into believing the true value of the real estate property is BGN 8,94 M, whereas in fact it is valued at BGN 846 000.

Azis has not been detained but is required to register with the local police every week as long as the investigation is going on.

Hasan Azis is a representative of Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish party DPS (“Movement for Rights and Freedoms”).

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