An investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF) has flagged potential irregularities concerning public procurement contracts valued at nearly EUR 5 million for renovations and architectural supervision across four Culture Ministry institutions. The affected sites include the Aleko Konstantinov State Satirical Theatre in Sofia, the Drama Theatre in Lovech, the Small City Theatre Behind the Canal in Sofia, and the National Educational Complex for Culture (NUKK). A legal expert from the ACF noted that the review of tender procedures revealed multiple violations of tender conditions.
Analysis of the documentation showed that in five of the eight contracts reviewed, the winning companies did not possess the required professional experience in similar scopes over the preceding five years. Furthermore, one winning bidder for the NUKK renovation failed to meet established financial criteria. Concerns were also raised regarding procedural integrity, such as the disqualification of bidders by an evaluation committee after price proposals had already been opened for the Small City Theatre.
The ACF review identified that the contracts were awarded to companies including Crypto Energy EOOD, Multi Stroi Comers EOOD, and D&D OOD, which exhibit numerous documented links. Specifically, two of these companies are linked to the same individual, Petar Dyulgerov, and share physical office locations. The investigation highlighted potential conflicts of interest involving legal professionals.
Two lawyers, Ivan Sotirov and Kristian Sotirov, were repeatedly involved in the process, serving as external experts who prepared contract documentation and as members of the evaluation committees. Evidence suggests that internal information regarding the Satirical Theatre contract was shared via email by an
Topics: #public #procurement #contracts
