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© Julia Lazarova
MRF MP and media owner Delyan Peevski has managed to find a way to circumvent one of the few laws he has introduced in his long career as an MP, namely that of transparency of media ownership and financing by changing publishing company. Thus, in practice, he avoids indicating sources of income after forcing others to do so.
“Maximum transparency” with exception
Changes in Law of Mandatory Deposit of Printed and Other Works and Announcement of Distributors and Providers of Media Services they were adopted in November 2018 with the votes of GERB, MRF and United Patriots (later the name of the law was expanded, but the law was briefly called “Peevski”). Despite the opinions of experts, organizations and the media, the modifications forced the print, electronic and online media, in addition to providing information about their true owner on their websites, to declare and “ineach funding received during the previous calendar year, its amount and basis, including details of the person who provided the funding“.
The changes were motivated by the petitioner Peevski and the MRF deputies with “maximum transparency of the media market in the country, as well as public awareness of the editorial policy of the media.”
Art. 7th (4) In the statement under par. 3 are indicated all contracts and their value entered into by the media service provider during the previous calendar year with state or local agencies or companies with state or municipal participation in the capital, including as a result of public procurement, with political parties, advertising contracts with people who carry out activities subject to regulation, as well as contracts that have received funding from the European Structural and Investment Funds or from other financial institutions and international donors.
However, how the petitioner applies the law – check the website of the Ministry of Culture, which maintains a record of statements, for the newspapers “Telegraph” and “Monitor” The company “Vestnik Telegraf” EOOD is indicated as publisher.. It was stated that the company had not received funding to advertise.
The deadline for filing returns under the Peevski Act is the end of June each year.
Almost until the end of July, the editorial staff of the Telegraph and Monitor newspapers included the editor. Telegraf Media EOOD. On July 27 the box was changed and it already says that the publisher is “Vestnik Telegraf EOOD”. In their editorial comments, the posts are still identified as the Telegraph Media group.
The registration of the Patent Office shows that the trademarks of the newspapers “Telegraph” and “Monitor” are owned by “Telegraph Media” EOOD.
In the 2019 registration, Telegraf Media EOOD is indicated as publisher, and various contracts are also indicated.
The same newspapers: two different statements
According to the Commercial Registry the new publishing house – “Vestnik Telegraf” EOOD was established in January 2019. Its manager is Alexander Georgiev, and the sole owner of the capital is 100% owned by Delyan Peevski “Intrust EAD”. Vestnik Telegraf EOOD is registered at Ekzarh Yosif Street in Sofia, where all companies officially owned by MRF MP are located.
The previous publisher – “Telegraph Media” EOOD has the same administrator, address of record and owner. It was in this company in 2018 that the companies that published the newspapers “Telegraph”, “Monitor”, “Politika” were incorporated. The Telegraph Media website claims that the company is the publisher of these newspapers, and a fee has been raised on its website for local and European elections held in 2019.
The statement filed in 2020 however, is from “Vestnik Telegraf” EOOD and says that no financing has been declared in accordance with the requirements of the “Peevski” law.
In accordance with the law, the declaration is submitted not only to the Ministry of Culture but also to the Registration Agency for registration in the Commercial Registry. The paradox is that the company “Vestnik Telegraf” submits a statement to the Ministry of Culture, stating that it is the publisher of the newspapers, but does not submit it to the Registration Agency, which is the obligation under the “Peevski” law.
At the same time, one day before the deadline, June 29, the company “Telegraph Media” submitted a statement to the Commercial Registry, stating that it is a newspaper publisher and that in 2019 it received 15 thousand BGN under a contract with the Bulgarian sport. tote. However, this statement was not visibly presented to the Ministry of Culture.
It appears that Peevski’s newspapers have two different editorials, one for the Commercial Registry and the other for the Ministry of Culture. The difference between the two registries is that the Ministry of Culture’s is publicly accessible and an electronic signature or certificate is required to review the declaration registered in the Mercantile Registry.
With the creation of the mirror company and his entry into the editorial column as editor, the revenues of the newspapers “Telegraph” and “Monitor” for 2019 are practically “hidden”, subject to public declaration before the ministry.
The Culture Ministry responded to Dnevnik’s questions on Thursday (September 3) at 9pm that Peevski’s statement was submitted on July 31, that is. month after the deadline. “The registration was made after a prior refusal to register due to incorrect spelling of media services created by the provider,” the response reads.
