Sofia Prosecutor Probes over 100 Municipal Property Schemes

At a Tusday press conference, Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, introduced Prosecutor, Margarita Nemska (l) as the new spokesperson of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office. Photo by BGNES

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office is probing over 100 cases involving individuals acquiring municipal properties through forged signatures.

The news was reported by the Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, at a Tuesday press conference.

Kokinov said that it is proven the signature of then Mayor of Sofia and now Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has been forged, but the schemes involves forging signatures of other City Hall officials. All fraud, however, has been perpetrated by the same group, around Petar Drashkov and notary public, Emanuil Karakashev, thus they are all filed as one case. The need of numerous expert opinions is delaying the probe, which will conclude in the summer, according to Kokinov.

Petar Drashkov is the brother of former Deputy Director of the Bulgarian State Security Agency (DANS), Ivan Drachkov, who was dismissed in October of 2008, just 9 months after assuming his 5-year term.

Petar Drachkov's name emerged around the same time in connection with the forged signature of Sofia's Mayor on a sale's contract, after Borisov notified the authorities about a notary deed showing a private company as the owner of 14 decares of municipal lands in Sofia's Strelbishte neighborhood.

The property, whose value is estimated at EUR 14 M, was acquired by the businessman Petar Drazhkov, owner of Sida-S Company, after the closing of a deal, sealed by Borisov's forged signature.

During the press conference Kokinov also introduced Prosecutor, Margarita Nemska as the new spokesperson of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office.

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