Petrohan murder case linked to alleged environmental fund scheme in Bulgaria

Environmental activist Atanas Rusev alleged that a group around businessman Ivo Kalushev prepared a large scheme to siphon money from Bulgaria’s National Plan for Recovery (NPVU) intended for environmental projects. Rusev claimed the scheme involved parties linked to the Democratic Bulgaria and Continue the Change parties and said the investigation was close to completion, with new witnesses, forensic evidence and high‑resolution camera footage.

Ecologist Tomo Belev responded, stating that no funds for NGOs existed in the NPVU and that the three cited projects – ecosystem protection in Natura 2000 sites, climate‑related ecosystem restoration, and water‑management digitisation – were not state aid. He said the details are publicly available in NPVU documents, contesting Rusev’s portrayal of a money‑draining operation.