Български
EnglishSvetoslava Rudolf from "Bulgaria 24" television talks with Ivelin Mihaylov about the concealed ecological pollution of the Black Sea coast and the double standard of the institutions regarding illegal foreign projects.
Ecological Disaster and Institutional Chaos
Svetoslava Rudolf talks about severe fuel oil pollution along the southern Black Sea coast, which creates huge problems for tourists and local businesses. She describes her personal experience on the beach in Sozopol, where people unknowingly step into black spots of fuel oil hidden under the sand. The journalist notes that the responsible institutions, such as the Ministry of Ecology, RIOEW, and local municipalities, refuse to take real responsibility and shift the blame among themselves.
According to the former minister Borislav Sandov and ecologist Toma Belev, the state has developed response plans for such spills, but they are not applied in practice. There is a lack of adequate state response, no drone surveys are carried out to establish the source, and the necessary laboratory tests are not made. Rudolf adds that the beach concessionaires clean only the dry sand with tractors, while the main pollution remains in the water and threatens everyone's health.
The War in the Black Sea as a Hidden Source of Pollution
Ivelin Mihaylov explains that the primary source of the spills is the ongoing military actions in the Black Sea. The entrepreneur points out that attacks with Ukrainian and British maritime drones against Russian oil tankers cause this immense ecological damage. According to him, this serious problem is deliberately concealed by the media and the authorities, while small and medium-sized businesses along the coast remain completely unprotected.
The guest emphasizes that the fuel oil deals a severe blow to marine fauna and destroys phytoplankton, which processes between 50 and 70 percent of the planet's carbon dioxide. He finds it baffling how Europe imposes the Green Deal to save the climate while turning a blind eye to daily oil spills and dying dolphins. Mihaylov warns that the poisoned fish and polluted water pose huge health risks to beachgoing children.
Double Standard and Repressions Against Domestic Business
During the conversation, the interlocutors contrast the complete lack of state control along the coast with the systematic attacks against compliant projects like "Historical Park". Mihaylov points out that over the past 7 years, the complex has been the subject of a massive negative campaign, despite having built water treatment plants, transformer substations, and roads on its own. He gives an example of the absurd accusations that he laundered 4 million BGN through his personal account.
The entrepreneur shares that despite the filed reports regarding death threats against his family by people connected to CWP Capital, the prosecutor's office takes absolutely no action. The journalist adds to the picture of media hypocrisy, recounting how the administration in Sozopol accused the television station of ruining the image of tourism with its reports on the fuel oil. Both are categorical that in Bulgaria, a path is cleared for mafiosos while obstacles are placed before responsible investors who create real value.
The Case of Oleg Nevzorov and Illegal Construction
The discussion turns to the Ukrainian investor Oleg Nevzorov, who continues the construction of his site in Bulgaria despite established gross violations of the law. The host recalls that this man was initially deprived of his right of residence by SANS due to money laundering suspicions, but a few days later was inexplicably let back into the country. Mihaylov reveals the scale of illegal activities in his complex, known as "Baba Alino".
| Violations in the Complex | Description according to Ivelin Mihaylov |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure | The site functions as an autonomous city with its own completely illegal water and sewerage network and energy system. |
| Water Resources | The investor conducts unregulated drilling and sells water, while Bulgarian farmers are banned from irrigating. |
| Armed Guard | The complex is protected by private security with illegal automatic weapons, which does not allow state control bodies to enter. |
| Documentation | The buildings were constructed illegally, but subsequently received unlawful certificates of tolerance. |
The entrepreneur finds it baffling how a foreign citizen can commit crimes on such a large scale and remain completely untouchable for law enforcement organs.
Foreign Influence and Political Umbrella
Mihaylov expresses indignation that certain foreign businessmen enjoy the open protections of various embassies in Bulgaria. As an example, he points to the Syrian citizen Ibrahim Mahmoud Amoura, who carries out illegal construction but simultaneously wins 212 state contracts for catering to the police, hospitals, and schools. The guest compares this to US policy, which bans Chinese drones for security reasons, while we entrust our national security to proven criminals.
The interlocutor draws attention to the visit of the new American ambassador to the mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev. According to Mihaylov, this meeting legitimizes the local government, despite the fact that 1,200 certificates of tolerance for illegal buildings were issued in just one district of the city. At the end of the conversation, he expresses fears that geopolitical interests and the connections of figures like Nevzorov with the Ukrainian leadership continue to dictate the agenda in the country at the expense of Bulgarian citizens.
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