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Fri, Feb 10 2012
New twist in Bulgarian real estate fraud case
Iskra Fidosova.
Photo: Krassimir Yuskeseliev
A day after police arrested an alleged organised group on charges of attempting to fraudulently transfer ownership of an apartment in Sofia, it emerged that one of the fake documents the group tried to use had been authenticated by a notary linked to Iskra Fidosova, a member of Bulgaria’s ruling party GERB and of Parliament’s legal committee.
The arrests were announced by the Interior Ministry on August 26 2009. One of those arrested was a lawyer, media reports on August 27 2009 said.
The document authenticated by Fidosova’s deputy notary was found when police searched the homes and offices of members of the group.
The ministry said that the organised crime group was busted by officers from the chief directorate of the criminal police working in co-operation with the Sofia City Prosecutors Office.
The arrests followed a tip-off 10 days previously. The attempted transaction involved an apartment with a tax assessment of about 70 000 leva.
The alleged perpetrators used false credentials, including fake identity cards, to acquire all the documents necessary for the sale of the property, including tax assessments and plans. They had arranged to meet a notary to complete the transaction.
The group, aged from 37 to 49, included people with police records.
Bulgarian National Television said on August 27 2009 that Fidosova had responded that there was no way for notaries to validate the authenticity of identity cards because they did not have access to the relevant state computer systems.
There was no way to tell a real identity card from a fake one, "especially when they are very good fakes," Fidosova said.
The arrests were announced by the Interior Ministry on August 26 2009. One of those arrested was a lawyer, media reports on August 27 2009 said.
The document authenticated by Fidosova’s deputy notary was found when police searched the homes and offices of members of the group.
The ministry said that the organised crime group was busted by officers from the chief directorate of the criminal police working in co-operation with the Sofia City Prosecutors Office.
The arrests followed a tip-off 10 days previously. The attempted transaction involved an apartment with a tax assessment of about 70 000 leva.
The alleged perpetrators used false credentials, including fake identity cards, to acquire all the documents necessary for the sale of the property, including tax assessments and plans. They had arranged to meet a notary to complete the transaction.
The group, aged from 37 to 49, included people with police records.
Bulgarian National Television said on August 27 2009 that Fidosova had responded that there was no way for notaries to validate the authenticity of identity cards because they did not have access to the relevant state computer systems.
There was no way to tell a real identity card from a fake one, "especially when they are very good fakes," Fidosova said.
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Notaries not suspects in real estate fraud case – police
Investigation continues into attempt by alleged organised crime gang to fraudulently transfer property owned by Agrohold in central Sofia’s San Stefano Street. The group was expected to appear in court on August 28 2009.
Bulgarian police bust organised crime real estate fraud group
Eight arrested while preparing to carry out an illegal property transfer using forged documents for an apartment in Sofia.
New law aims to clamp down on real estate fraud
The public notary chamber has insisted that it will present government institutions access to the new property register database for consultations and surveillance.
New beginning
Starting in February 2009, the cadastral map and property register of the country will go online, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said while speaking in the National Assembly on January 16. Yet Bulgarian media put a question mark over its effectiveness, since only 12 per cent of the land has been thoroughly accounted for and included in local cadastres. The rest of the country would supposedly be covered by 2015, according to governmental strategy.
Corporate ID worries
A survey presented at a November 20 round table on the newly set Commercial Register (CR) revealed pessimism from managers and magistrates on how to challenge corporate thefts successfully in court. The round table was organised by the Bulgarian-language magazine Praven Svyat (Legal World), a publication that conducted a survey in the first half of November among company owners and managers, magistrates and notaries.
Be very careful - widespread property fraud
The blunt message to British people, and foreigners in general, when contemplating buying property in third-world countries, Bulgaria in particular, is watch out. Traditionally for British expats, France and Spain have been the favoured destinations for purchasing property, but lately their interested has gradually shifted towards the Balkans as new countries in the region have joined the European Union. "Developers and real estate agents there have a more aggressive approach to property sales and our firm has dealt with hundreds of people who have encountered problems when buying property abroad," David O'Donnell, who works for Irish-based legal firm Tom McGrath & Associates, said.
COURT IN BULGARIA'S ROUSSE EXAMINES FUND DRAINAGE AND PROPERTY FRAUD SCHEME
Rousse Regional Court is holding sittings in a trial for European funds drainage and fraud involving real estate. The trial was launched on January 17 2007. Four people were charged with fraud, among which head of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) youth organisation Uylian Spasov. Representatives of regional administration will testify on February 28. These administrators processed false documents.
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Very ignorant comments Craig. This problem is unfortunately the same everywhere. We have had corruption of officials in the UK, in the passport agency and in the DVLA. Recently a passport scam was exposed in Finsbury Park in London where people were able to obtain a fake UK passport for about £3000 that when checked on the database appeared to be a real passport. This is not forgery but corruption and is difficult to stop even in a country with such financial resource as the UK, In Bulgaria it is at present proving to be nothing short of impossible.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained реклама & спам
Wow, no way to validate the authenticity of a national ID card! That takes the cake. Why bother to issue them in that case, just let everybody make their own and think of the money the government will save by not having to print and authorise the things to start with (although I suppose some jobs would be lost). I wonder, is it the same with driving licenses? Passports? Military ID's? Hmmm... what about credit cards and automatic teller (money machine) cards?
Craig Hesser
Good 2004 dot biz