Tsvetelina Vatovska sent to the editorial team of Iskra.bg another signal related to notary Maria Bakardzhieva from Nessebar. She claims that it is about the acquisition of properties through usurious activities. The citizen accuses Bakardzhieva and her long-time friend Ivaylo Lyakhovich, Chairman of the Old Nessebar Association and Regional chairman of the State Security Service, of illegally acquiring appetising properties by concealing the origin of their funds.
On this occasion, we contacted Tsvetelina Vatovska. She told Iskra.bg:
„The main activity of Maria Bakardzhieva is not that of a notary, but to trade in real estate. How can she work as a notary if she does not appear in her office? I researched this matter and it became clear that the notary is all the time engaged in running hotels and making loans. In my opinion, her money in recent years has been acquired by usury. Is it possible that she is actually combining her work in the law office and that of a trader?“
The reason for Vatovska’s scandalous allegations comes from the fact that she was contacted by people who told her that after a loan from notary Maria Bakardzhieva and their inability to repay it, she had acquired shares in their properties. Tsvetelina Vatovska noted that Bakardzhieva in recent months transferred her shares to Ivaylo Lyakhovich and Tsonka Milanova, an accountant from Pomorie, and not as before to her elderly mother and 24-year-old son Dimitar Statev. The woman claims that the persons appointed by the notary are not wealthy and have no way of acquiring such serious assets, amounting to BGN 5 million.
„This is a classic scheme by which someone puts a set person – to take properties, giving them loans beforehand. A notary to engage in usury?! Usury is forbidden by law and we go to criminal liability. This is unacceptable in the code of ethics for notaries, as the law prohibits legal entities from engaging in commercial activities because of a conflict of interest. By all accounts, it seems that Bakardzhieva is seriously engaged in commercial activities and it is not proper for her to be a notary. The origin of her funds is not what she claims to have acquired from her activities as a notary.“, Tsvetelina Vatovska pointed out.
After making inquiries on her part, it turned out that son of notary Bakardzhieva – Dimitar Statev, became the sole owner of properties in Velingrad – „Enira“ hotel and „Spa Park Infinity Velingrad“ hotel. He acquired the shares from his grandmother Penka Bakardzhieva.
Vatovska found out from the website of the Ministry of Tourism that the „Enira“ hotel, located in Velingrad, 18 Pushkin St., is managed by „Marina MK2010“ Ltd. „Spa Park Infinity Velingrad“, also located in Velingrad, 55 „Gotse Delchev“ St., is the listed company „VIP 2005 R“ JSC from Nessebar. The manager of this company is Valentin Marinov, partner with Pencho Tanev. According to the information gathered by Vatovska about the other partner – the accountant Tsonka Milanova from Pomorie, it can be seen that she acquired the remaining 50% of the shares of Valentin Marinov’s company.
The citizen consulted the commercial register and found out that Ivaylo Lyakhovich had acquired from Pencho Tanev 50% of the shares of „VIP 2005 R“ JSC. for 2500 BGN. The company, from which Ljahovic acquired half of the shares, operated the „Spa Park Infinity Velingrad“ hotel, with the subject of activity maintenance and management of hotel and holiday complexes.
It is clear from a notice published in the Commercial Register that on 22.10.2018 Penka Bakardzhieva transferred to her grandson Dimitar Stattev the shares of Marina MK 2010. The balance sheet published for 2020 shows that the amount of its assets are worth about BGN 1 007 000, with a current profit of BGN 20 000 and the amount of liabilities is BGN 1 531 000. Stefan Topuzov is named as the compiler of the financial statements.
We would like to remind you that, according to the allegations of Tsvetelina Vatovska, notary Maria Bakardzhieva and her partner, lawyer Daniel Bratanov, have illegally acquired mortgaged single-family buildings and land properties in the villa village „Cherry Garden“, Kosharitsa village, Nessebar municipality. This was done through an assignment contract with „Commercial Bank D“ AD, through which they purchased the debt of the company of Tsvetelina Vatovska „S.V. Property Invest“ Ltd, in which she is a partner with her mother. The person Ivaylo Lyakhovich is the owner of one of the houses in the villa development, who told Dimitar Ivanov, Vatovska’s husband, that notary Bakardzhieva had bought their debt from the bank. According to her, the notary offered to take BGN 50 000 and transfer access to the property in Kosharitsa.
In February 2023, Iskra.bg contacted notary Maria Bachvarova regarding this case. She then confirmed that Bratanov’s company has no income, which is exactly why she gave him a loan of BGN 500,000. Vatovska commented on this case:
„In case this debt is to a bank or other non-financial institution, it is unlikely that Maria Bakardzhieva would provide her colleague, lawyer Daniel Bratanov, with a loan of BGN 525 000, and the amount is probably higher. Why didn’t she give that money to her son to pay back part of the “Enira” loan? If all these assets, for which I gathered information, were acquired without external financing, but only from the income from the notarial activity of Bakardzhieva, the possibility that she had the amount of BGN 570 000 in cash to lend them to lawyer Daniel Bratanov, in my opinion, it is unlikely.“
„Such illegal actions damage the prestige of the entire country. No one pays attention to complaints against a notary public. The prosecutor’s office rejected my first complaint, but now I have filed a second one, which will require more witnesses to face notary Bakardjieva. I urge them not to be afraid, but to stand up for their rights in order to get their properties back,“, Vatovska urged.
The Iskra.bg team remains open to all parties involved in the case to speak.
