The mayor of Belogradchik Boris Nikolov has paid 1 and a half million levs for afforestation of 1,200 decares. An on-site inspection found that there were no trees planted there. The same mayor handed over 450 people to a private bailiff, who owed the local administration more than BGN 100 in taxes, but missed his son, who had not paid them for 10 years and the amount was BGN 4,000.
Municipal councilors shared about even more bizarre scandals committed by the Municipality of Belogradchik and Mayor Nikolov. One of them is from 2015 and it is about afforestation against erosion of municipal lands with an area of 2500 decares. For this activity the local administration has applied for European funding. BGN 2 million were granted to her, and a consortium of three companies was selected. According to the contract, 400 saplings must be planted on each decare for three years. Where they have not caught – to plant new ones.
Already in 2015, the municipality signed the protocols for the 2,500 decares of trees planted on the area and paid the contractor’s money. For the next two years he paid him the money for growing.
A journalistic team visits the place with the municipal councilor Rumen Tsankov – a forest guard by profession. However, they find nothing.
„After the funds for afforestation of EU funds have been utilized, the same plot of land is given to the tenants for the purpose of cleaning and absorption of EU funds again. The mayor is responsible for what is happening on the ground.“
The mayor claims that there was an acacia forest on the site, but it has dried up.
In 2019, municipal councilors sent signals to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office. Documents were checked, eyewitnesses were questioned, experts inspected the site. A signal was also submitted for the mayor’s actions to the Anti-Corruption Commission of the National Assembly. She, in turn, commissioned an investigation into the Anti-Corruption Commission, which found corruption.
