An attempt to change the owner of “Vertigo” while Peevski and the media are dealing with “The Elephant in the Room”

MP Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act for significant corruption , has launched a media and institutional campaign in recent days to position himself as a zealous supporter of Euro-Atlantic values. After a broadcast on Sunday on bTV, Peevski approached the Prosecutor’s Office and the State Agency for National Security (DANS) with an insistence that they investigate the violation of European sanctions against representatives of the Russian authorities who own property in Bulgaria and in particular the Russian MP Alexey Chepa. Shortly before that, on November 22, 2023, the Registry Agency refused to enter in the Commercial Register an application for a change in one of the beneficial owners of Vertigo Bulgaria EOOD.

The unimplemented change was aimed at the registration of the Russian woman Ekaterina Filinova, born in 1999, with a permanent address in Milan, Italy, as the owner of 20% of Vertigo. 24-year-old Ekaterina is the daughter of Rafael Filinov – Russian businessman associated with the Russian oligarch and billionaire Boris Berezovsky, who died in 2013. Сегашната собственичка на 20% от “Вертиго” Nadezhda Zakharova is presented as Filinov’s wife in a donation deed. This is shown by documents that BIRD examined.

The “elephant” has been in the room for a year and a half!

The information about the investment of pro-Putin MP Alexei Chepa in Bulgaria was reported by BIRD a year and a half ago, but became relevant again after Peevski himself took up it. Chronology of events: 07.04.2022: BIRD publishes an investigation into the properties in Bulgaria of four sanctioned Russians, including a large-scale investment of over €10 million in the Emerald complex in Ravda by Russian Duma deputy Alexei Chepa

. Тогава участието на сина на Чепа в собствеността на “ Vertigo” did not escape. 05.10.2023: Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) has published an extensive investigation showing the property of Daniil Chepa, son of MP Alexei Chepa, in the Vertigo Business Center. 05.10.2023: On the same day, BIRD.BG informed on Facebook about the new properties of Alexei Chepa revealed by Navalny’s team

in Bulgaria. Peevski is mentioned in this post.

11.10.2023: The show “The Day with Veselin Dremdzhiev” informs and broadcasts footage from the investigation of Navalny’s team with the Vertigo business building” in the center of Sofia, estimated at 10 million euros. Peevski is mentioned.

15.11.2023: The topic of sanctioned Russians, Alexei Chepa and “Vertigo” is discussed again from BIRD in “The Day with Veselin Dremdzhiev”. Peevski is mentioned again.

22.11.2023: The Registry Agency refuses to enter in the Commercial Register an application submitted days earlier for a change in the beneficial owner of Vertigo Bulgaria EOOD.

26.11.2023: Or a month and a half after the publication of FBK, bTV broadcasts a report “The elephant in the room: Sanctions against Russia do not work” and presents this as a big “investigation”.

In addition, bTV broadcasts video footage from the investigation of Navalny’s team without marking them as such. Even if they have received permission to use them, viewers may mistakenly get the impression that these are bTV footage.

27.11.2023: Delyan Peevski, MP and chairman of the MRF parliamentary group, sanctioned by the United States under the Global Magnitsky Act, examines and refers to the State Agency for National Security and the Prosecutor’s Office for “investigation of all data and circumstances pointed to in the investigation of Btv journalist Stoyan Georgiev “The Elephant in the Room. Sanctions do not work”, broadcast on 26.11.23, about how a Russian oligarch and politician circumvents sanctions and runs a billion-dollar business in Bulgaria.“It is important to note here that Delyan Peevski is mentioned by name on the topic of the properties of the sanctioned Russians, Chepa and Vertigo, both in posts by BIRD.BG over a month and a half before that, and in several programs “The Day with Veselin Dremdzhiev”.

Unsuccessful attempt to change the owner of Vertigo

On November 22, 2023, the Registry Agency refused to enter in the Commercial Register an application submitted days earlier for a change of one of the beneficial owners of Vertigo Bulgaria EOOD. The application and refusal are available in the Trade Register for registered users. The application was filed by a lawyer authorized by the manager of Vertigo Tatyana Vasileva. В представените документи за кипърската “Леаморе Инвестмънтс Лимитид”, освен две физически лица, като съдружници присъстват и две юридически лица, за които не са представени документи, удостоверяващи крайните им собственици. На заявителя е указано да отстрани нередовностите, но след като това не става, вписването е отказано.

It is evident from the documents submitted to the Commercial Register that the unimplemented change was aimed at the registration of the Russian woman Ekaterina Filinova, born in 1999, which has its permanent address in Milan, Italy. According to the submitted but not accepted certificate dated 20.10.2023, 24-year-old Ekatrina owns 20% of the Cypriot Leamore Investments Limited.

Documents that BIRD was able to examine show that Ekaterina Filinova and the current owner of 20% of Vertigo, Nadezhda Zakharova, are related.

Ekaterina Filinova, 24, is the daughter of Rafael Filinov, a Russian businessman associated with Russian oligarch and billionaire Boris Berezovsky, who died in 2013. Според рускоезичното издание на Форбс, през 2006 г. президентът на фонд “Триумф” Рафаел Филинов е представител на инвеститора и председател на борда на директорите на австрийската Global GOLD Holding Gmbh. “Западните инвеститори” получават лиценз за второто по големина златно находище в Киргизстан. Березовски и негов тогавашен съдружник Бадри Патаркацишвили, също починал, стоят зад фирмата получила “златния” лиценз.

The current owner of 20% of Vertigo Bulgaria, Nadezhda Zakharova, is presented as the wife of Rafael Filinov in a donation deed.

After the refusal to register a change, the beneficial owners of Vertigo Bulgaria“The co-owners Daniil Chepa (25%), Nadezhda Vladimirovna Zakharova (20%), Alexander Andronov (30%) and Lydia Bozarova (25%) remain registered on 21.06.2019. The latter is the daughter of Ognyan Bozarov, who is said to be the nephew of Todor Zhivkov. He has led the Neva project and has a long-standing business partnership with Alexei Chepa.

Lead photo: The Vertigo office building in Sofia, Delyan Peevski | Collage: BIRD.BG

Четирима санкционирани руснаци с имотни инвестиции в България

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This post is also available in: Български (Bulgarian)