The rulers of "Progressive Bulgaria" have made a scandalous appointment as head of a state hunting farm. Eng. Iliya Simeonov is now director of the TP "State Hunting Farm Trakia" at the South-Central State Enterprise in Smolyan, foresters told ABCnews.
This brings attention back to one of the most controversial periods in the management of Bulgarian forests – the time of the Triple Coalition (BSP, NMSV and MRF).
Simeonov's name became widely known in 2007-2009, when he headed the National Forestry Administration at the Ministry of Agriculture. He was part of the team of Nihat Kabil, who headed the Ministry of Agriculture. Now Kabil's son - Taner Kabilov, is an MP from Delyan Peevski's MRF.
It was during the time of Iliya Simeonov that the state carried out dozens of scandalous deals to replace state forests with private properties - a practice that caused a strong public and political scandal. They were made in favor of large oligarchs and businessmen, who received appetizing properties on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and winter resorts for pennies, and not at real market values. In return, they provided the state with few attractive properties.
Later, the European Commission concluded that a large part of the swaps constituted unlawful state aid and Bulgaria was obliged to take action to recover the benefits provided. The EC even recently condemned Bulgaria in the case. The scandal during the time of Iliya Simeonov and Nihat Kabil became one of the most emblematic examples of controversial decisions in the management of state forests.
As head of the National Forestry Administration, Iliya Simeonov repeatedly defended the swap policy. In public statements in 2007, he claimed that the legislation provides mechanisms to limit the subsequent development of the swapped forest areas, including the idea of a 10-year ban on changing the purpose of the properties. However, these proposals did not lead to a cessation of public discontent.
After the change of government in 2009, the topic of substitutions remained among the most commented on in the sector, and the inspections of the European Commission and the subsequent proceedings continued for years.
Today, more than 15 years later, Iliya Simeonov again holds a leadership position in the state forest system. His appointment as director of the State Hunting Enterprise “Thrace“ inevitably raises questions about whether figures associated with one of the most controversial periods in the management of the forestry sector are returning to key positions in "Progressive Bulgaria".
Although there is no court decision against Simeonov that would find him guilty in the case with the pronouns, his name remains inextricably linked to the period in which this practice became one of the biggest public and political scandals in Bulgaria.
Source: abcnews.bg