A huge scandal with monstrous material damages is about to take the head of the mayor of Pernik Stanislav Vladimirov, writes mediamall.info.
The decision, issued on August 25, 2025, puts Mayor Vladimirov at risk of criminal prosecution with potential imprisonment from 3 to 10 years due to intentional non-compliance with a decision of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC).
The financial damages will accordingly be borne by the citizens of Pernik.
The case stems from a claim filed by “Liel Construction“ EOOD against the Municipality of Pernik and “ZMBG“ AD, in order to declare the contract No. 163 of October 23, 2020 for “Garbage collection and disposal service of household waste on the territory of the Municipality of Pernik“ voidable. The contract was concluded within the framework of a procedure under the Public Procurement Act, but it was established that the Municipality of Pernik and “ZMBG” AD violated the legal requirements by preventing the plaintiff from participating in the process for selecting a contractor.
The lawyer in the case on behalf of the Municipality of Pernik is the venerable trial lawyer Angela Asenova, known for her 6-figure fees.
District Court - Pernik (first instance):
On April 12, 2023, the court upheld the claim of “Liel Construction“ EOOD, declaring the contract null and void. The defendants – Municipality of Pernik and “ZMBG“ AD – were ordered to pay 48,000 leva in state duty and 51,180 leva (including VAT) in costs. The decision was based on established violations of the Public Procurement Act, which led to a lack of equality in the procedure for selecting a contractor.
Sofia Court of Appeal (SAC):
On September 19, 2024, the SAC confirmed the decision of the first instance court, qualifying the claim under Art. 224, para. 1, in conjunction with Art. 119, para. 1, item 3, b. “c“ of the Public Procurement Act. The court found that the actions of the Municipality of Pernik prevented the plaintiff from participating in the procedure, which violated the principles of transparency and competition.
Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC):
On August 25, 2025, the SCC, presided over by Judge Kostadinka Nedkova, issued a final ruling, rejecting a cassation appeal of the CAS decision. The SCC emphasized that the norms of the Public Procurement Act take precedence over the general rules of the Obligations and Contracts Act (OCA), including Art. 35, which allows for confirmation of contracts through execution. The court rejected the arguments of the Municipality of Pernik and “ZMBG“ AD that the plaintiff has no legal interest or that the execution of the contract makes it valid. The SCC emphasized that the legitimacy of “Liel Construction“ EOOD is based on potential damage, not necessarily proven damage, according to §2, item 14 of the Additional Provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
The Supreme Court of Cassation's decision also obliges the Municipality of Pernik and „ZMBG“ AD to cover all legal costs in the case.
The case raises serious concerns about the actions of the Mayor of Pernik, Stanislav Vladimirov, who concluded the contract despite a decision of the Supreme Administrative Court that had entered into force, establishing the illegality of the procedure. This intentional violation may lead to the prosecution's self-referral and the filing of charges under the following provisions of the Criminal Code (CC):
Art. 219, para. 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code: Provide for a penalty of up to 6 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 5,000 leva for an official who does not take sufficient care in the management of entrusted property or does not exercise control over the assigned work, which leads to significant damage.
Art. 219, para. 3 of the Criminal Code: If the act was committed intentionally, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of 2 to 8 years, and the court may order deprivation of rights under Art. 37, para. 1, item 6 of the Criminal Code.
Art. 219, para. 4 of the Criminal Code: In the case of particularly large damages, representing a particularly serious case, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of 3 to 10 years, with deprivation of rights under Art. 37, para. 1, items 6 and 7 of the Criminal Code.
Alternatively, Vladimirov may be charged under Article 282 of the Criminal Code for abuse of power or official position, which also provides for severe penalties. The financial damages from the contract will be borne by the budget of the Municipality of Pernik, which will directly affect the citizens of the city.
The decision of the Supreme Court of Cassation is in line with national efforts to improve public procurement management, as provided for in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). It reflects Bulgaria's commitment to comply with Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement, which emphasizes transparency, equal treatment and the prevention of corruption. According to data from the Commission for the Protection of Competition and the European Commission, violations in public procurement procedures often lead to inefficient spending of public funds and restriction of competition.
The decision also emphasizes that even executed contracts are subject to judicial review if they were concluded in violation of the law, which could serve as a precedent for other municipalities in Bulgaria.
For Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov, however, the decision represents a serious blow that could threaten not only his position as mayor, but also his personal freedom. Potential criminal prosecution will depend on the actions of the prosecutor's office, which may initiate proceedings based on the established intentional non-compliance with the SAC decision.
The case highlights the need for reforms in the public procurement system in local administrations to prevent such violations and ensure transparency and efficiency.
For Stanislav Vladimirov, the consequences are severe - from financial losses that will be borne by citizens to potential criminal prosecution that could lead to imprisonment. This case serves as a warning to all officials managing public resources regarding the importance of respecting the law and protecting the public interest.
With this intentional action, Stanislav Vladimirov condemns the municipality of Pernik to pay huge sums to the company (plaintiff) “Liel Construction” EOOD, which means that with this criminal behavior, the mayor will damage the municipality with colossal amounts, which are yet to be calculated by experts appointed by the court to say what the exact amount to be paid to the damaged company is, and this will be done by referring to the huge amounts that were illegally paid to “ZMBG” AD. Knowing all this, the prosecutor's office will most likely indict the mayor under Article 219 of the Criminal Code, para. 3 and para. 4.
At the same time, it is also important to emphasize that the actions committed by the mayor of Pernik, in their essence, unconditionally constitute a crime. At least against the interests of the citizens of the city of Pernik. In addition to the fact that all of them now have to pay the price for Vladimirov's outrages, the quality of the municipal service they have received over the past 5 years has also been subject to all kinds of criticism. It is enough to mention the fact that before Stanislav Vladimirov's criminal launch of the company “ZBGT” AD in the field of garbage collection in the city, there were over 170 Pernik residents working in this field, while in the past 5 years there have been only 15 people operating with no more than 4 trucks.
Finally, we can only say that this case should serve as an example for all other local government leaders in our country, who seriously need to understand that sooner or later, all their schemes will come to light. And there will be justice. And they will pay the price.
Source: mediamall.info