Dozens of timber auctions on forestries have a predetermined result – this shows an investigation after receiving a signal. Specialists and logging companies claim that in just 3 months, approximately 150,000 cubic meters of forest have been sold, and the losses for the state amount to about BGN 20 million.
800 auctions of forest holdings for timber from dozens of fellings in the Western Rhodopes have been analyzed. The results show that in most of them the participation of companies is formal and they do not bid. A single bidder submits a bid during the auction and he buys the materials at prices that are close to the starting ones.
At the next auction of the farm, the same participants still do not bid, and the material is bought from among them. Documents that are public and have been published on the website of the South Central Enterprise show that this is happening at the statutory auctions for local timber traders, where few companies have the right to participate.
Among the main winners of the tenders for timber for construction of the forestry in Dospat is a company close to Mayor Elin Radev. The Director of Forestry commented:
„Once there are submitted documents – then it is an auction. We are launching the procedures, and what our companies understand is their job.“
The mayor of Dospat adds:
„Since 2016, when I became mayor of Dospat municipality, I have not been involved in logging and wood processing, but in my family. Before I became mayor, until 2016 I have 2 wood processing workshops in Dopsat and Borino, I have a concrete unit, I have a hotel, a grocery store, restaurants, bars. There are no people who are impersonators. Now as mayor, my family is doing well, but I see that things are not going as well as when I was not mayor, because I was in charge of the whole business.“
Public protocols show that in the Rhodope town alone for 3 months at prices close to the initial, after the described type of auctions were sold more than 20,700 cubic meters of timber. The situation is similar in the neighboring municipalities.
