The management of Stolichen Autotrans EAD signed on January 30 the contract for the delivery of 25 18-year-old used Mercedes-Benz O 530 G Citaro buses for 2,369,837.87 euros. Thus, one bus costs 94,793.51 euros excluding VAT. The supplier is the company AVARIINI MOBILNI SISTEMI EOOD, owned by Mustafa Mustafa, about whom we warned our colleague Boyko Dimitrov on January 19 that he wanted to sell us buses for 8 times more money than they cost at the car dealership in Germany. There we found them by the frame numbers, and the price for one bus was an average of 9,900 euros including VAT. In the signed contract, the frame numbers are deleted, but the years of production, the brand and the model match the initial offer of Mr. Mustafa Mustafa.
This was written on "Facebook" by the municipal councilor Simeon Stavrev.
I am reprinting a statement by the executive director of Sofia Public Transport, which was quoted by Bulgaria ON AIR: “The buses that are about to be purchased will meet all safety requirements. As executive director, I will not sign a single contract that violates the principles of safety and economic profitability with regard to vehicles serving Sofia residents and guests of the city“. So, what do you think, do these 18-year-old buses meet all safety requirements, and does their price violate the principles of economic profitability?
I am also publishing parts of two of my posts on the topic:
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January 20, 2026
Yesterday, my colleague Boyko Dimitrov and I presented data on a scandalous public procurement by “Stolichne Autotransit“ EAD, in which the municipal company is about to buy used buses at a price up to eight times higher than their real market value. We are talking about 17-18 year old articulated buses with a mileage of over 700,000 km, which are sold in Germany for about 9,900 euros, and in Sofia they are offered for nearly 185,000 leva excluding VAT per unit.
Two offers have been submitted for a separate item for the supply of 25 used 18-meter buses – both with drastically inflated prices. The cheaper one is from the company “Emergency Mobile Systems“ EOOD, owned by Mustafa Mustafa, who previously sold us the famous vertical air conditioners for trams. We checked specific buses by frame number – the same machines are in a car dealership in Germany for about 23 thousand leva with VAT, and are offered at Stolichne Autotranslatov for over 185 thousand leva without VAT.
These buses were manufactured in 2008-2009, heavily depreciated and with huge mileage. Even if they formally meet the requirements of the order, their maintenance will be expensive and will open the door to new orders for spare parts worth millions. Instead, the most reasonable and profitable thing for Sofia residents is for the company to buy buses directly, without intermediaries - just as it should buy fuel without intermediaries.
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December 22, 2025
Do you remember Mustafa Mustafa, who supplied us with vertical air conditioners for trams 20 and 22 at relatively high prices? In October, Mr. Mustafa acquired the company EMERGENCY MOBILE SYSTEMS LTD and with it he wants to sell us second-hand buses for Stolichne Autotranslatov EAD at a huge premium. Mr. Mustafa plans to buy 25 18-meter buses from the German car dealership Bushandel Roettgen for 576 thousand leva including VAT and sell them to us for EIGHT times more - 4.635 million leva excluding VAT.
Here are some examples:
A 17-year-old Mercedes-Benz bus - O 530 G Citaro, diesel, euro 5, registered in 2008, 739,947 KM, with chassis number WEB62829013115802 costs 23,041.28 leva including VAT at the dealership (11,781.00 €, 9,900.00 € excluding VAT), and Mustafa Mustafa offers to sell it to us for 185,400.00 leva excluding VAT.
17-year-old bus Mercedes-Benz - O 530 G Citaro, diesel, euro 5, registered in 2008, 709,222 KM, with chassis number WEB62829013115808 costs 23,041.28 BGN with VAT (11,781.00 €, 9,900.00 € excluding VAT) at the dealership, and Mustafa Mustafa offers to sell it to us for 185,400.00 BGN without VAT.
17-year-old bus Mercedes-Benz - O 530 G Citaro, diesel, euro 5, registered in 2008, 721,732 KM, with chassis number WEB62829013115820 costs 23,041.28 BGN with VAT (11,781.00 €, 9.900,00 € excluding VAT), and Mustafa Mustafa offers to sell it to us for 185,400.00 BGN excluding VAT.
A 17-year-old Mercedes-Benz bus - O 530 G Citaro, diesel, euro 5, registered in 2008, 711 174 KM, with chassis number WEB62829013115796 costs 23,041.28 BGN including VAT at the dealership (11.781,00 €, 9.900,00 € excluding VAT), and Mustafa Mustafa offers to sell it to us for 185,400.00 BGN excluding VAT.
And so for all 25 buses. Each of the buses has a mileage of over 700,000 km and looks extremely worn out - both the body and the engine. The company will most likely immediately start buying auto parts for them, perhaps at a higher cost than the buses themselves. And of course - it will make new public procurements for parts worth millions.