Bulgarian Economy Ministry Alters Press Release after F1 Scandal

The EABG rebuttal letter, signed by their CEO, Raid Abu Hudra, sent to the Bulgarian daily "Sega." Photo by Sega.bg

The Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, had amended its official press release from August 30, announcing plans to build a Formula 1 racetrack near Sofia with financing from Abu Dhabi.

The comparison was done by reporters from the Bulgarian daily Dnevnik hours after the news broke that the Abu Dhabi company Emirates Associated Business Group (EABG) refuted statements of Bulgarian authorities the group will invest in the project to build a Formula 1 racetrack.

The current Ministry information reads the company is a private consortium, and its representative, Mohammed Abdul Jalil al Blouki, is also the owner of the business.

The first release listed EABG as a State-owned company and al Blouki as a Sheik.

The Ministry had made the changes on their website, but did not send the updated release to the media.

When asked by a Dnevnik reporter what triggered the change, the Ministry's press center explained they received information the first release had some facts mixed up, adding Traikov is the one who would further clarify, but he was currently attending the Parliament's session.

Earlier Friday, the Bulgarian daily "Sega" (Now) published a letter from EABG rebutting the information they would finance the F1 track and saying that after they have been misrepresented as a State-owned company and their owner as a Sheik, they would not invest in Bulgaria at all and would warn all their partners to not do it either.