Ivan Ivanov is a former manager of the Ovcharitsa dam area, which is located next to the Maritsa East 2 TPP and is under the umbrella of the National Electric Company. While he was director, Ivanov had his subordinates take out huge loans, then transfer the money to his bank account or to his relatives. Thus, the amount swelled to millions, say those who were in debt by thousands of leva, Nova TV reports.
Petar Stoev, who is a technician in the Ovcharitsa dam area, says that he has withdrawn over 300,000 leva with interest - from 5 consumer loans, to four banks. And Angel Zhelev - 180,000 leva. The fitter Nikolay Nikolov, on the other hand, received 105,000 leva.
Stoev suggests that the total amount is around 8-9 million leva.
It all started years ago as a request for help. Subsequently, Ivanov began to force his subordinates to take out more and more loans, say the employees of the National Electricity Company. However, where the money went, even the investigators do not know for now. The former director presented various versions, including that he was making land deals, that he was investing in European funds, or that his sister needed funds to treat a blood clot in her arm.
"He told me that he had to return 80,000 leva to a European fund, but by mistake the money went somewhere else in the bank account. All documents were prepared by the company's accountant and cashier, from there they were handed over to Ivan Dimov, he would put me in the car like a puppy and drive me to the bank," said Nikolay Nikolov.
This is how the fitter in the “Ovcharitsa” dam area ended up with a loan of 105,000 leva. He can no longer repay it. His former boss transferred the amount for the monthly installment to him for several months - until January 2024, but then stopped.
Nikolay's colleagues, who were forced to take out loans, also stopped repaying the installments.
"Ivan came to my workplace and said, "Stoyane, will you help me, I need money urgently, I will return it within 20 days". He said that his sister was getting divorced and they had some blocked lands, they had to release them, so he could sell them and return the money, "said Stoyan Rusev. He gave him 100,000 leva from a withdrawn loan. His installment is 1,700 leva per month and he is unable to repay it.
Angel Zhelev has gone four times to withdraw money from banks in Stara Zagora.
"I also told the employee that I don't need money and she calls him on the phone and he comes and says to me "what are you doing in a hurry, I'll fire you from work", Zhelev says.
Another employee of Ivan Ivanov - Yordan Bogdanov, says that he withdrew 40,000 leva and transferred it to his mother. And he gave him 25,000 leva by hand. "In addition, I am Angel's guarantor for 60,000 leva. We have burned a lot of people. Last year I turned 50, I had to have an anniversary, there is nothing to organize it with. My child is graduating, I could not throw a ball. The money went to Ivan", he said.
Former director Ivan Ivanov claims that the millions went to his sister Tanya Georgieva, who was treating a blood clot in her arm and invested in a project. She was going to repay the loans after she repaid the investment amount. Tanya Georgieva is a former deputy mayor of the Stara Zagora village of Lovets. She does not answer her phone.
Ivan Ivanov said that the employees helped him - to provide a loan to his sister. First, for surgery and treatment of a blood clot in her arm. And secondly, for a project in which she invested in order to return the money for her treatment.
According to Ivanov, it was supposed to be held abroad. He assures that he will return all the money - from the compensation he expects.
In order for the banks to grant them large sums, the employees of the Ovcharitsa dam area claim that the former head Ivan Ivanov had the company's accountant write on documents that they receive higher salaries. They also claim that the years of work experience were falsified.
"In August, I will complete 7 years of experience in this company. And in one bank, two years ago, they wrote to me that I have 10 years and 2 months of experience. And the salary they wrote to me is 3,700 leva, while under the contract at that time it was 1,510 leva. – This means that they lied in the document from the company," Nikolay Nikolov revealed.
Stoyan Rusev also finds himself in the same situation. And he shares that he has not repaid his loans since February and expects a garnishment. And there is a family with a 5-year-old child.
Ivan Ivanov denies that the company prepared documents stating that people were receiving much higher salaries than the real ones, which is a type of document fraud. He specifies that everything is from the accounting reports.
Ivanov took money not only from his subordinates, but also from his neighbors.
Veselin Stefanov withdrew 150,000 leva against the promise that the money would be returned to him in three months.
"He was supposed to receive two and a half million from Europe, but because of this deal he had to pay for some documents there," he recalls.
Another neighbor - Rusen Ganev, transferred 15,000 leva. Valentin Valchev, "burned" with 16,000 leva.
And Zhivko Chipilev took out a loan for 40,000 leva, for a period of 10 years. He continues to pay it off from his salary. Petar Savov gave 20,000 leva to Ivanov - to a bank account. Sasho Stanilov "burned" with 7,000 leva.
After they had withdrawn the loans, Ivanov did not give his subordinates the contracts they had concluded with the banks, they claim. The employees received them only when an investigation began. Then they saw that the amounts were being transferred on their behalf to the bank account of Ivan Ivanov and his relatives. The former chief not only did not return the money, but also stopped answering his phone.
Ivan Ivanov has been fired from the National Electric Company. A few days ago, the Stara Zagora District Prosecutor's Office initiated pre-trial proceedings in the case. They specify that the investigation is in its initial stage and that interrogations, requests for bank documents and other procedural and investigative actions necessary to clarify the factual situation and reveal the objective truth are pending. Given the gravity of the case, intensive investigative actions are being conducted.
Petar Stoev stated that according to the investigation, the money was poured into a pyramid scheme in the Cayman Islands.
Despite the thousands of leva that Ivan Ivanov claims he gave her, the former manager's sister Tanya Georgieva was unable to cure the blood clot in her arm. That's why she also took money from pensioners in the village of Lovets, where she was deputy mayor.
Dimitrina Marazhieva says that she gave her 5,000 leva, but since January 1, 2023, she has neither heard from nor seen her. "She said she needed it for an operation on her hand in Istanbul," she says.
The elderly women in the village of Lovets even made a sacrifice for the health of the deputy mayor. Tanya Georgieva also collected the money for the renovation of the church, claim other people who made a donation.
At the end of November last year, the District Prosecutor's Office in Stara Zagora indicted Ivan Ivanov's sister - Tanya Georgieva. It turned out that she fabricated a power of attorney on behalf of her now ex-husband. Thus, she acquired the right to dispose of all his properties and, without his knowledge, sold hundreds of acres of agricultural land that Georgi Bonev had cultivated. She also illegally received 400,000 leva from a Stara Zagora company to which she promised to give grain.
"There is an expert report that proved that the signature is not mine. She makes preliminary contracts with a company that it will deliver grain for a certain period. They give her 400,000 leva. And she actually does not give the grain that she promised, and the company files a lawsuit against me. And takes everything from me - 260 acres of fields, an apartment and 80 animals," Bonev says.
The District Prosecutor's Office in Stara Zagora explained that in the case of Ivan Ivanov's sister, the proceedings are being conducted for fraudulent actions related to contractual relations with various representatives of damaged legal entities. Numerous investigative actions were carried out, including questioning 80 individuals as witnesses.