{"id":126075,"date":"2025-02-12T20:34:11","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T17:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/126075\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"bulgarian-buyer-of-belarusian-trolleybuses-suspected-of-fraud","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/126075\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulgarian buyer of Belarusian trolleybuses suspected of fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n File photo (Minsk-Novosti)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

February 12, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The European Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office (EPPO) in Sofia has filed an indictment<\/a> against the manager and owner of a Bulgarian company suspected of fraud in a 2021 public procurement procedure to buy nine trolleybuses for the municipality of Vratsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPPO website reported that the project, worth \u20ac4.5 million, was funded by the European Cohesion Fund as part of measures to reduce air pollution. The municipality of Vratsa and the municipal company responsible for public transport were the beneficiaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the EPPO, during a public tender competition, the suspect stated that the vehicles originated from a Polish company. However, there is evidence that the company acquired them from a Belarusian state-owned entity (i.e., BKM Holding, which has been under EU sanctions since June 2022). The Polish company went into liquidation soon after completing the transaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe investigation revealed that the trolleybuses were sold for nearly twice the initial acquisition price paid by the contractor, which constitutes a clear case of price inflation,\u201d the prosecutors said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If found guilty, the suspects would face between two and eight years in prison under Bulgarian law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Belarusian denied asylum, fears deportation from Bulgaria<\/h3>\n
October 17, Pozirk. Bulgaria has denied asylum to Barys Barysa\u016d, a former opposition presidential campaign activist, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) reported yesterday The man fears deportation to his home country, where he says he could face prison. \u201cA …<\/div>\n \n