Varna Mayor faces legal action amid illegal construction scandal

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev has referred the municipal construction control department to the prosecutor's office following an internal investigation into the ‘Baba Alino’ illegal construction case. The investigation revealed missing reports regarding field inspections, leading to the suspension of nearly half of the department's staff. The case involves the Forest Club residential complex, where authorities claim over 100 buildings were constructed illegally in a forested area.

Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov stated that the responsibility for stopping illegal construction lies with the mayor. He noted that the mayor has sufficient evidence to remove the city's chief architect and has ordered a four-year retrospective inspection into how building permits were issued.

Simultaneously, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office has brought charges against Mayor Kotsev regarding his previous tenure as Regional Governor. The charges involve an alleged attempt to deliberately conclude an unfavorable deal for a legal services contract in 2022, which could have resulted in a loss of approximately 23,256 BGN to the regional administration.

In the Baba Alino area, the Varna Administrative Court is set to rule on a case regarding the disconnection of water and electricity to five uninhabited houses. While the Supreme Administrative Court previously ruled in favor of restoring utilities for 20 inhabited houses, legal disputes continue regarding the legality of construction activities in the complex.