U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions three Bulgarians

"Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Bulgarian individuals for their extensive roles in corruption in Bulgaria, as well as their networks encompassing 64 entities", announced the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

“Not only does corruption deprive citizens of resources, it can erode the institutions intended to protect them. This designation under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program shows that we are committed to combatting corruption wherever it may be”, said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea M. Gacki.

"This action targets Vassil Kroumov Bojkov, a prominent Bulgarian businessman and oligarch; Delyan Slavchev Peevski, a former Member of Parliament; Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov, the former Deputy Chief of the Bulgarian State Agency for Technical Operations who was appointed to the National Bureau for Control on Special Intelligence-Gathering Devices; and the companies owned or controlled by the respective individuals", reads the statement of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

“Vassil Kroumov Bojkov (Bojkov), a Bulgarian businessman and oligarch, has bribed government officials on several occasions. These officials include a current political leader and the former Chairman of the now-abolished State Commission on Gambling (SCG). Bojkov also planned to provide a sum of money to a former Bulgarian official and a Bulgarian politician earlier this year to help Bojkov create a channel for Russian political leaders to influence Bulgarian government officials. Delyan Slavchev Peevski (Peevski) is an oligarch who previously served as a Bulgarian MP and media mogul and has regularly engaged in corruption, using influence peddling and bribes to protect himself from public scrutiny and exert control over key institutions and sectors in Bulgarian society. Peevski negotiated with politicians to provide them with political support and positive media coverage in return for receiving protection from criminal investigations. Peevski used Zhelyazkov to conduct a bribery scheme involving Bulgarian residency documents for foreign persons, as well as to bribe government officials through various means in exchange for their information and loyalty”, announced the U.S. Department of the Treasury

"The rule of law is at the heart of the democratic process in any constitutional state. In our relations with our partners and allies, we have unequivocally shared our conviction that the fight against corruption in all its forms should be our unconditional priority", stated the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the annoucement of the U.S.Department of the Treasury. Bulgaria‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed confidence that the interaction between Sofia and Washington would continue.