Български
EnglishIvelin Mihaylov speaks with “Bulmetal” owner Kolyo Atanasov about what they describe as an established mafia-style feudalism in the municipality of Gurkovo, where local strongmen, allegedly under the protection of state institutions and the prosecutor’s office, exert systemic pressure, physical violence, and economic repression against businesses and citizens.
We present the full transcript of the conversation, edited for readability, with all stories and examples preserved.
Investors vs. “Investors”: Who Actually Builds Bulgaria?
Ivelin Mihaylov: Hello! We are currently in Kazanlak, near Gurkovo. As you know, we recently had an action in Gurkovo, where we supported civic organizations that organized a large protest, but most people still did not understand why the protest in Gurkovo took place.
Next to me is Kolyo Atanasov, who is the owner of “Bulmetal”—a company for metal packaging—but he also has two other factories: one in Italy and one in Germany. Why am I saying this? Because you know, more often there are foreigners who invest in Bulgaria. But when a Bulgarian invests abroad, it means he brings profit back into Bulgaria. That is something very positive. Very few Bulgarians do this, because those who are truly successful are rare in Bulgaria. At some point, they prefer to leave abroad.
For example, Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borisov export money from Bulgaria to Dubai, but they cannot produce money in Dubai. Without mother Bulgaria to export from, they cannot do anything. Whereas the opposite—an entrepreneur going abroad and succeeding—is something truly special. Or that is a special breed of people.
In Bulgaria, how is an entrepreneur treated, and why was this protest? If we can explain to our viewers what the situation is in Bulgaria, because, for example, Boyko Borisov appears and says that Bulgaria has a very good business climate. Is that really the case?
The Establishment of the Mafia Model in Gurkovo
Kolyo Atanasov: Since 2019, a mafia model has been established here, which we largely dismantled. A mafia model imposed by an organized criminal group led by two individuals—Marin Tsonev and Georgi Tsonev. These are people with criminal records. These are people who in 2007 were tried for racketeering and arson and were convicted after a long period in detention.
And then certain political figures recognized them in 2019 as being very close to their hearts.
Ivelin Mihaylov: Which political figures at that time?
Kolyo Atanasov: At that time, in the local leadership in Stara Zagora region, they were in DPS (party). But after the abuses from 2019 to 2023 began, Mayor Marian Tsonev, under the guidance of his son Georgi Tsonev, carried out actions against society and business that forced local DPS leaders to reject them. In the 2023 elections, seven parties united. Then, both from society and from the active part of civil society, this mafia model was largely removed.
Ivelin Mihaylov: The old DPS removed them, or even it could not tolerate this feudal strongman model?
Kolyo Atanasov: Exactly.
The Media Curtain and Institutional Protection
Ivelin Mihaylov: How is Bulgaria governed? I will say now: even though other parties united, we can say that the prosecutor’s office is one. It serves certain masters. The media in Bulgaria are the same—bTV, Nova, BNT. And since most people do not know how media ownership works… they say, for example, one is American, another is Czech. In reality, media have regulators, and when they do not report the “correct” news, regulators can revoke their national license within three days. A media outlet worth 500 million or 300 million can be totally destroyed. So we are talking about a large investment, where media are indeed subordinated.
Kolyo Atanasov: In 2019, the harassment of local business began. When the mafia model took hold in Gurkovo municipality, Nikolaevo municipality, and Tvarditsa municipality—since those two municipalities were also subordinated to this mafia tandem—they wanted to break the more significant businessmen, to make them kneel. The bigger figures to kneel. The rest, naturally, out of fear and terror, would do the same. But they hit a wall. Not only I, but other people also resisted.
The repression was numerous. It began with inspections from the police, the National Revenue Agency, seven or eight institutions at once. There was a specialized police operation on November 5, 2020, when about 40 police officers raided the entire company—entering, checking IDs, verifying employees. If someone did not carry an ID, they were taken and brought back. Similar intimidation tactics aimed at frightening us.
Daily inspections from the municipal “Territorial Planning” department. Demolition of fences that were more than 60 cm higher. As of today, he has decided to demolish my daughter’s fence.
Ivelin Mihaylov: So I do not divide people… but at the same time, his illegal constructions, you say, will be demolished, but those of Roma people will not?
Kolyo Atanasov: Look, one thing has nothing to do with the other. For a fence they demand Act 16, for every structure. We are talking about old structures. In Bulgaria, a large part of buildings, before the new spatial plans, were built during socialism. After acquiring an enterprise, they are not always reflected in new cadastral systems and must be redone. Not that they were illegally built—they were constructed during socialism with full documentation.
Ivelin Mihaylov: That is correct.
Kolyo Atanasov: We are talking about old buildings and properties where we hosted refugees—people from Ukraine—as part of our social program and patriotic initiatives. More than 1,000 people passed through us, whom we helped during that time to come from the war. People with Bulgarian roots, settled here.
Ivelin Mihaylov: Bessarabian Bulgarians, for example.
Kolyo Atanasov: Yes, exactly. And precisely because of this, Marian Tsonev, while mayor, sent letters to some of these facilities stating he would stop water, electricity, and gas.
Ivelin Mihaylov: To the refugees?
Kolyo Atanasov: Yes, exactly. But this is quickly forgotten. I want to remind society that when a mafia figure wants to break certain people, he stops at nothing.
Physical Threats and Attempted Killing
Kolyo Atanasov: They sent a man to assault me on the street. He met me, and with the first blow I fell unconscious. I was almost killed.
Ivelin Mihaylov: That scar is from then, right?
Kolyo Atanasov: Yes. My left eye is damaged. Two broken vertebrae. The man who attacked… later he was convinced by them that I had wronged him. He was manipulated into aggression against me.
Later the man realized his mistake, apologized multiple times, and is now a key witness to their mafia schemes. He himself is now being attacked by the same organized group—business interference, constant inspections. He even survived a gunshot incident from the Balkan mountains area during lunchtime in front of many witnesses.
People should know that this organized criminal group has now moved under “New Beginning.” Or perhaps the previous DPS could not tolerate these criminals.
Ivelin Mihaylov: I say this because police, prosecutors, media—none of this could stand idle without protection from above. People must understand this. It would have been reported immediately otherwise.
Kolyo Atanasov: I hear they have become closely connected with a person high in the hierarchy of “New Beginning.” Mr. Revanski—if these people are not under his protection, he should publicly say so. Institutions should investigate how they continue to beat, threaten, and terrorize people.
The recent protest was precisely because of an inconvenient witness whom they publicly attacked, beat, and threatened with severe threats against him and his family.
Today, while traveling toward Gurkovo, I crossed paths with Georgi Tsonev, Marian Tsonev, and their security. They turned around and chased me. I parked near a warehouse with cameras. They pulled me out of the car, kicked me, threatened me for testifying, warned me to stop or “something would happen” to me and my family.
Because of this, we—active citizens together with many others—went out to protest. Medical and forensic examinations, including psychiatric assessments, documented the injuries.
Ivelin Mihaylov: This is the state of corruption. That is why we must stop it.
The Planted Drugs Scheme
Kolyo Atanasov: In Gurkovo we clearly state we will not allow this to continue. Many people do not believe drugs can be planted or murders arranged with fabricated stories just to achieve goals. But this mafia originates from security structures trained exactly for such operations.
A man came to me complaining that the two leaders—Georgi Tsonev and Marian Tsonev—had not paid him for planting drugs on me. He begged for help, saying he feared being killed if he could not settle accounts with those who supplied the drugs.
He explained where and how he planted them so they could later activate the compromise and send me to prison as a drug dealer.
Ivelin Mihaylov: Did you find them immediately?
Kolyo Atanasov: Yes. I first contacted the organized crime directorate in Sofia, then local police. On January 9, 2023, police searched exactly where he indicated. I did not enter myself, fearing surveillance traps. Police found them—a large jar with methamphetamines and marijuana placed on top to be easily detected by dogs.
I say this because people often do not believe such setups can happen in the 21st century in an EU member state. But actions speak louder than words. I believe what Christ said: “By their deeds you will know them.”
I cannot support vote buying. I testified before police, court, and prosecutors—and apparently became inconvenient.
My cause is clear: I have always opposed vote buying in our municipality. If they want to stop me, they must kill me next time—not send attackers. The mafia must understand it exists to be crushed by the people.
Institutions and the Meeting with Sarafov
Kolyo Atanasov: There are at least 20–25 witnesses in Gurkovo and the region who can testify about vote buying. That is where the rot begins. Whoever buys power through votes can later buy prosecutors, police, anti-organized crime units, intelligence services. Then the state collapses. Business and citizens want order and legality.
Our company group has paid around 100 million in taxes over recent decades—over 4 million annually for 25–30 years. We have restored around 70–80 houses in Gurkovo, housing people from Ukraine and others willing to work.
Justice institutions are funded by taxpayers—they owe society results.
Since 2021, when Marian Tsonev was arrested for vote buying, prosecutors should have acted. Instead, witnesses were pressured, including Roma community members whose utilities were cut to force them to withdraw testimony.
After I was beaten in 2022, I requested a meeting with Chief Prosecutor Geshev. I was instead received by Sarafov, then Deputy Chief Prosecutor, with Ms. Masheva present. When discussion reached vote buying and organized crime connections, he ended the meeting, saying: “We do not deal with politics.”
Ivelin Mihaylov: Vote buying is politics, not crime?
Kolyo Atanasov: Apparently for him. I was expelled despite severe injuries—broken vertebrae, damaged eye. That is our reality.
We want legality and justice. Business needs stability and order. We want to be law-abiding citizens and resist corruption and mafia structures.
Authorities label even peaceful resistance as “paramilitary,” while ignoring armed criminal groups. National media and politicians attempt to mislead the population, but the Bulgarian people are intelligent.
So to the mafia and its protectors—you have no chance. The spirit of Botev and Levski lives.
Ivelin Mihaylov: Today we showed these people they are not alone. Step by step we will free Bulgarian municipalities. Today was Gurkovo.
Kolyo Atanasov: We thank everyone for support. We are open to cooperation with all parties and organizations that care for Bulgaria—because we have no other homeland.
Ivelin Mihaylov: Gurkovo has taken the first step. Next is restoring legality and bringing back young people. We will show everything publicly so more people see and support the cause—because if society does not know, it is as if it does not exist.
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