Bulgarian Interior Minister denies Peevski personally paid for flights

Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev testified in Parliament that documentation from Hyperion Aviation, obtained by the Organized Crime Unit, shows no personal payments made by Delyan Peevski for flights between January 1, 2023, and June 15, 2026.

Demerdzhiev clarified that 36 bank transfers totaling 5,083,800 euros were issued and paid by Spectrum Air EAD, a company that purchased the aircraft used for Peevski’s flights. The Minister noted that the same individuals are listed as the actual owners of Spectrum Air EAD.

The testimony also addressed alleged corruption in public procurement for protective clothing. Demerdzhiev stated that in the first half of 2022, the Road Infrastructure Agency awarded contracts across six regions to four interconnected entities that control 99.6% of the market. These contracts, originally valued at 253,848,403 leva, increased to 414,817,140 leva through annexes. The Minister identified several involved legal entities, including Jupiter 05 AD and various civil associations such as Bezopasnost Zapad, OSP-Sever, and OSP-Severoiztok.