Former Varna Mayor and Regional Governor face trial over non-existent port

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia has filed an indictment against former Varna mayor Ivan Portnih, former regional governor Stoyan Pasev, and two other officials for fraud related to the reconstruction of a non-existent fishing port, reported the EPPO office in Luxembourg.

The four are accused of forging official documents and providing false information in order to unlawfully obtain EUR 3.4 million in EU and national funds for a project aimed at improving the infrastructure of a purported fishing port on the outskirts of Varna.

Based on the evidence, the plots of land included in the application as an existing port were in fact registered in the cadastral plan of Varna as rocks, sand and other type of buildings. The investigation revealed that the beneficiary assembled several pontoons as floating piers to register the site as an existing harbour.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov