Another report for actions of Director of the Directorate of Maritime Administration /DMA/ in Varna, Capt. Valentin Enchev, which damage and undermine the prestige of the state institution. It was sent on 12 July to Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov, as well as to three national media. The editorial office of Iskra.bg also obtained a copy of the document. It reads:
„For more than 11 years, the head of the Directorate of Maritime Administration – Varna, which is part of the Executive Agency Maritime Administration (EAMA) continues to be C.E.O. Valentin Enchev. He was appointed as an outsider /as it is usually said „parachutist“/ without a single day of experience as an inspector in the administration and without a single day of experience on a ship as a captain of a long-distance voyage (i.e. he has only a diploma). Unhealthy ambitions mixed with professional unsuitability, emotional instability, administrative incompetence and extreme narcissism have led to the construction of a complete image of an authoritarian and uncultured but cunning chief whose main techniques are bullying and scheming towards employees and servility to superiors and selected representatives of the maritime business who can ensure his remaining in office despite all his unacceptable, harmful and illegal actions.“
The report states that the first complaints about Enchev’s actions date back to 2015, when 23 employees, mostly inspectors, most of whom had many years of experience as captains and chief mechanics, filed a report with the then Executive Director of EAMA. It noted:
„First of all, we consider that there has been a violation of the Law on Prevention and Disclosure of Conflict of Interest /PCIP/ arising from the performance of teaching activities by V. Enchev in an educational establishment of the Naval Academy „N. Vaptsarov“, also subject to inspection and control by the DMA-Varna, in accordance with quality procedure PC 06-02 of the EAMA. In accordance with the above-mentioned procedure, extraordinary inspections of educational establishments are carried out by verbal order of the Director of the DMA and are organized by the Head of the Seafarers’ Qualification and Registration Department (SQRD), who determines the scope of the inspection and the composition of the committee.“
The report from 2015 states that there were violations of the EAMA’s Rules of Procedure, and an example were Enchev’s orders that assigned employees duties that were beyond those described in his job description.
Numerous reports followed over the years to the Executive Director, the Ministry’s Inspectorate, the Minister of Transport, the Ombudsman.
At the request of employees, a committee was set up by order of the Executive Director, which in its report found that Enchev could not work in a team, systematically violated the Code of Ethical Conduct of the EAMA, that „employees were subjected systematically and daily to psychological harassment and threats of dismissal.“
In the current report, it is pointed out that the result of all of them so far has been the same – „with someone’s powerful behind-the-scenes support, Enchev managed to keep his post, despite the finger being slightly waved at times.“
In 2018, the employees turned to the Commission for Protection of Discrimination (CPD) by filing a complaint. By decision 408/03.0.2018, the CPD defined Enchev’s conduct as „persecution“ of employees and obliged:
„Valentin Enchev, Director of the Directorate of Maritime Administration of the City of Varna to take all necessary measures and actions to improve the working environment in the Directorate of Maritime Administration of the City of Varna.“
After a second similar complaint, the CPD in a decision defined the conduct as „harassment“ of employees in the directorate, which was confirmed by a decision of the SAC after an appeal against the director. Once again, the then management of the Administration and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs failed to act.
As a result of the inaction of the control bodies – in 2018, 12 people left /with an average roster of about 45/. In the following years, turnover continues at an unacceptable rate, the whistleblowers say, specifying that 17 employees have left in the past two years alone.
The turnover creates a danger that DMA-Varna will not be able to fulfill some of its tasks on time or at all. The most important of them is the fulfillment of obligations under international agreements.
The report asks:
„Should only the director and the janitor remain in the Directorate (because the secretary has given notice) so that the necessary measures can be taken, in fact only one measure that is long overdue – this man Valentin Enchev should not hold this post. So far, this measure has not been taken – as a result of corruption or other improper reasons – why, let the institutions that are called upon to find out.“
At the same time, officials in the DMA-Varna are simultaneously wondering how long the violations will continue and what to do in the future. They fear that if they leave their current jobs, it will be difficult or almost impossible to find a job in the same industry, saying:
„For example, we want to start work in a company near a port. From there they call Enchev and tell him – „Your person wants to start working with us.“, and the answer is – „No, don’t take him“. A colleague had been taken and she did not stop sending her staff to this port for checks.“
They say that Valentin Enchev is aware of the current report and are worried about his reaction.
This article was prepared with the help of the „Organization for the Protection of Bulgarian Citizens“ (OPBC) The patriotic association informed Minister of Transport Georgi Gvozdeykov about the last signal, submitted two weeks ago, to pay more serious attention to it because it fears that it may be suppressed.
