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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Bulgarian prosecutors to investigate Dogan’s real estate deals
Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which was a partner in Bulgaria's two former governing coalitions, from 2001 to 2009.
Photo: Tsvetelina Angelova
Prosecutors and Government officials are to investigate various acquisitions of real estate managed and used by Ahmed Dogan, leader of Bulgaria’s Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and other senior MRF leaders.
Dogan’s MRF was a member of the two previous governing coalitions, the Simeon Saxe-Coburg administration from 2001 to 2005 and the Sergei Stanishev cabinet from 2005 to 2009. The MRF is led and supported in the main by Bulgarians of ethnic Turkish descent.
The probe follows a meeting on November 19 2009 between Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and Ivan Kostov, leader of right-wing minority party the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria.
Acting on allegations by Kostov, investigators will examine Registry Agency and Commercial Register records to establish how Dogan and other MRF leaders had acquired various properties.
The matter was investigated earlier by Parliament’s committee against corruption.
On November 19 2009, Bulgarian-language mass-circulation daily quoted Lyutvi Mestan, deputy leader of the MRF, as saying that Kostov was known for "nursing the most tender feelings towards Ahmed Dogan".
On November 13, Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev requested Parliament to remove the immunity from prosecution of two MRF MPs, Gyunai Sefer and Mithat Tabakov. The two MPs volunteered to waive their immunity without the question being tabled for debate in the House.
Dogan said that prosecutors’ pursuit of the two MPs was part of a plot by the Government to "criminalise" his party.
Sefer faces allegations of document fraud, and if found guilty could face up to 20 years jail and forfeiture of assets, while Tabakov, formerly mayor of Doulovo, is charged with abuse of office, document fraud and bribery, and if found guilty could go to jail for up to 30 years, along with asset forfeiture.
"I am not worried, because I know what it is about. It seems producing scandals is one of the ways to divert the public attention from the essential problems in the state’s governance," Dogan said on November 13, Bulgarian news agency Focus said.
Dogan’s MRF was a member of the two previous governing coalitions, the Simeon Saxe-Coburg administration from 2001 to 2005 and the Sergei Stanishev cabinet from 2005 to 2009. The MRF is led and supported in the main by Bulgarians of ethnic Turkish descent.
The probe follows a meeting on November 19 2009 between Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and Ivan Kostov, leader of right-wing minority party the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria.
Acting on allegations by Kostov, investigators will examine Registry Agency and Commercial Register records to establish how Dogan and other MRF leaders had acquired various properties.
The matter was investigated earlier by Parliament’s committee against corruption.
On November 19 2009, Bulgarian-language mass-circulation daily quoted Lyutvi Mestan, deputy leader of the MRF, as saying that Kostov was known for "nursing the most tender feelings towards Ahmed Dogan".
On November 13, Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev requested Parliament to remove the immunity from prosecution of two MRF MPs, Gyunai Sefer and Mithat Tabakov. The two MPs volunteered to waive their immunity without the question being tabled for debate in the House.
Dogan said that prosecutors’ pursuit of the two MPs was part of a plot by the Government to "criminalise" his party.
Sefer faces allegations of document fraud, and if found guilty could face up to 20 years jail and forfeiture of assets, while Tabakov, formerly mayor of Doulovo, is charged with abuse of office, document fraud and bribery, and if found guilty could go to jail for up to 30 years, along with asset forfeiture.
"I am not worried, because I know what it is about. It seems producing scandals is one of the ways to divert the public attention from the essential problems in the state’s governance," Dogan said on November 13, Bulgarian news agency Focus said.
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A full in depth review of who owns what and how they paid for it is well overdue. No doubt thousands of friends will have lent him money to help purchase these properties.