We have provided data for quite a few people, but we will provide data for even more. This was said by Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev after his return from the US. There he provided documents about Bulgarians sanctioned under the “Magnitsky“ Act and other compatriots who assist them in circumventing sanctions by acquiring and using property through proxy holders.
“We understood that there is a serious interest in identifying people who are attempting to evade sanctions or committing criminal activity not only on the territory of Bulgaria, but also federal crimes under US law“, he pointed out.
“We have similar understandings on some of the important issues, including that efforts must be made to ensure the effectiveness of the sanctions imposed under the “Magnitsky“ Act on sanctioned persons, including Bulgarians, that action must be taken against those who actively assist them in evading sanctions. Their actions must be carefully analyzed and they must be the subject of attention not only of Bulgarian law enforcement agencies, but also of those in the US, because some of these actions can be treated as federal crimes,“ said the Minister of the Interior.
According to him, the topic of the talks was that these sanctions should be effective and that the persons on whom they are imposed should endure them effectively, and not circumvent them in an “elementary way“ through the help of others.
“We agreed that evidence would be provided and that the Federal Prosecutor's Office would assess whether crimes concerning US law had been committed. "And we are actively working in Bulgaria to establish whether a violation and crime have been committed under Bulgarian law," he said.
According to him, all kinds of measures have been discussed, including criminal proceedings and all the consequences arising from this - summoning specific individuals and holding them accountable.