An investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF) has identified potential irregularities concerning public procurement contracts totaling nearly EUR 5 million across four cultural institutions managed by the Culture Ministry. The affected sites include the Aleko Konstantinov State Satirical Theatre, the Drama Theatre in Lovech, the Small City Theatre Behind the Canal, and the National Educational Complex for Culture (NUKK) in Sofia. According to legal expert Daniela Peneva, the ACF’s review of the tender procedures revealed multiple violations of established procurement conditions.
The analysis noted that in five of the eight reviewed contracts, the successful bidders lacked the requisite experience in projects of similar scope within the preceding five years. Furthermore, documentation for the NUKK renovation showed one winning company failing to meet established financial criteria. The ACF also pointed to procedural flaws, such as the disqualification of bidders by an evaluation committee after price proposals had already been submitted for the Small City Theatre.
The investigation highlighted recurring involvement of three companies—Crypto Energy EOOD, Multi Stroi Comers EOOD, and D&D OOD—in awarding these contracts, revealing public links between them. Concerns were raised regarding conflicts of interest, specifically involving the repeated appearance of the surnames Sotirov in roles ranging from external contract documentation preparation to membership on
Topics: #public #procurement #contracts
The identification of significant irregularities in public procurement contracts across multiple cultural sites raises serious concerns about oversight.