The Mayor of Kameno Municipality, Zhelyo Vardunski, as well as the Chair of the local municipal council, Radoslav Baltadzhiev, have been implicated in a conflict of interest. Both have held their positions since 2019, with their terms set to end in 2027. The rulings are official and come from the Commission for Counteracting Corruption and Confiscation of Illegally Acquired Property (KONPI).
Both investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission were initiated following submitted reports. Mayor Zhelyo Vardunski signed contracts with a company represented by his wife, S.V. One contract, dated March 5, 2020, was between the municipality and the said company. It granted the company the right to lay a water pipeline—part of the technical infrastructure—free of charge. The other contract was a tripartite agreement also involving the local water utility company (ViK).
As for Radoslav Baltadzhiev, it is alleged that, in his capacity as a municipal councilor and Chair of the Kameno Municipal Council, he participated in the approval and voting of a decision to sell a municipal property (private municipal ownership) located in the village of P. i., Kameno Municipality, with an area of 11,171 square meters. The declaration of interest in the property was submitted by “F. P.” Ltd., while the sale order was issued in the name of “K. I.” Ltd. It is claimed that both companies are owned by S. Sh., with whom Baltadzhiev has lived in a domestic partnership for years, shares a child, and is now legally married. The report further claims that in a similar manner, “K. I.” Ltd. acquired another municipal property in the village of Ch. v., Kameno Municipality. This followed a declaration of interest by the company “F. BG” Ltd. and a decision of the Kameno Municipal Council, which Baltadzhiev supported—again benefiting his wife’s company.
Both the mayor and the chair of the municipal council have been found in conflict of interest. Mayor Vardunski has been fined 5,000 BGN, and the same sanction has been imposed on Baltadzhiev.
