„I do not understand the arguments of Mr. Bojkov to demand my resignation. I am not to blame for the fact that its employees, together with members of the Gambling Commission, have misapplied the law, as a result of which BGN 700 million are due. If he, as it is strange to me, has received such advice from me not to pay taxes, to prove it, then I will bear my responsibility, not only political.
I have no worries, all my conversations with him were in his capacity as one of the major owners of the gambling business in Bulgaria. The most common topic of conversation was his insistence on taxing online gambling regimes with land-based gambling. His wishes did not receive support from the ruling party. The topics were also related to the regulation of gambling advertising. It is very easy, when you are accused, to accuse the whole society of not functioning, because it is profitable for you.“
This was announced by the Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov in response to the request made by Vasil Bojkov to resign. The businessman, who is in Dubai, announced that during all this time he had met only with Goranov, who did not allow him to talk to the Gambling Commission. The Minister said something completely different:
„There were other people from abroad who claimed to be innocent and this is a normal defense and it is their right. Just to remind other Bulgarian citizens who are hiding from justice, they claimed to be innocent and would condemn Bulgaria in the so-called Omani Fund. Not only did this not happen, but the Omani Fund withdrew its claims and paid all the costs of the case. It was rumored that the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company had no connection with CCB and did not owe money. It also turned out to be thanks for the efforts of colleagues from the Bank’s Deposit Guarantee Fund and the trustees in bankruptcy, because after the decision of the London court, a total of 125 million euros will be reimbursed. That is, very especially when they find themselves in the situation of defendants, they tend to replicate their defenses, which is their right. The actions of the Gambling Commission continue, which are related to the collection of receivables that the state has and if someone claims to be in good standing to pay his debts, because everything goes through judicial control.“
Goranov stressed that Bojkov could pay the BGN 700 million he owes the state for unpaid taxes. He stressed that he, as a minister, has no functions to control the Gambling Commission.
„Nowhere in the Law on Gambling is there a function for the minister to control or supervise the commission. It is a collective, independent body and only it has the right to regulate and control this area. Therefore, immediately after the beginning of this crisis, which arose as a result of infighting within the gambling group, which was run by Mr. Bozhkov, because this incorrect reporting was understood by a signal from his partners, the only thing I could do at that moment is to assign an inspection to the State Financial Inspection Agency. As soon as it was established that for one reason or another – willingly or unwillingly – this was the subject of a judicial investigation that the commission was improperly applying the law, I replaced the members of the Gambling Commission, in agreement with my other colleagues who nominate members. And we started a procedure for accruing uncollected revenues in the budget. These acts have passed judicial control and are in force and anyone who assesses and wants to be fair, to pay these 700 million levs and for him this issue will disappear, „said the Minister.
Goranov stressed that other charges have been filed against Bojkov, not only because of the unpaid BGN 700 million.
