An investigation by the Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF) has identified potential irregularities within the public procurement processes for renovation and architectural supervision contracts at four cultural institutions managed by the Culture Ministry. The total value of these contracts approaches EUR 5 million, covering facilities including the Aleko Konstantinov State Satirical Theatre and the National Educational Complex for Culture (NUKK) in Sofia. A legal expert from the ACF noted that an analysis of the tender procedures revealed multiple violations.
Specifically, documentation showed that in five of the eight reviewed contracts, the winning companies had not provided evidence of completing projects of similar scope within the required five-year timeframe. Furthermore, in one instance, an evaluation committee disqualified bidders after price proposals had already been opened. The review highlighted awarding patterns involving Crypto Energy EOOD, Multi Stroi Comers EOOD, and D&D OOD.
Public records reveal numerous associations between these entities, including shared personnel and physical addresses. Concerns were raised regarding potential conflicts of interest involving Ivan Sotirov and Kristian Sotirov, a father-son team of lawyers who served both as external experts preparing documentation and as members of the evaluation committees. A key finding involved an internal email communication from an evaluation committee expert, which allegedly provided the winning contractor with confidential contract details days before the announcement.
Topics: #public #procurement #contracts
This is deeply concerning, especially when public funds meant for cultural preservation are involved.