The state attacked a restaurant on suspicion that its owner was financing the protests

Six institutions simultaneously attacked the Vodenitsata restaurant in the Dragalevtsi neighborhood and carried out a nearly two-hour inspection on Friday night. This was announced by the restaurant team on their Facebook page.

Restaurant “Water Mill” in Dragalevtsi

The inspection comes a day after the restaurant’s owner, Vesselin Denkov, known by the nickname Veso Bradata or Veso Vodenitsata, was left permanently in custody by the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeals. He was arrested on 1 September at the Bulgarian entrance to the Kalotina border checkpoint together with his girlfriend, Miss Bulgaria from 2001, Ivayla Bakalova, who was later released.

The Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office did not officially announce his arrest and the information appeared for the first time on yellow sites.

According to the businessman’s lawyers, he was detained on suspicion that Veselin Denkov was Vasil Bozhkov’s mediator in financing the protests. This was stated by an anonymous witness for the prosecution.

“For a week, our employer Veselin Denkov has been detained on suspicion of financially supporting the protests. He denied this accusation in court and we are sure of his innocence.”writes the team of the restaurant “Vodenitsata”.

According to the prosecution, Denkov is accused of participating in an organized criminal group that was involved in usury, organized crime and extortion. The businessman denies doing illegal things and claims to be innocent.

“Obviously this is a series of actions taken against him and obviously the activity of the establishment is not directly related to the accusation. An accusation that is generally based only on rumors and testimonies of secret witnesses and witnesses who do not have direct and immediate impressions” .Denkov’s lawyer, Stoimen Chakalov, told bTV.

“I don’t know what it has to do with. They told me that his problems are at the moment because they saw him in the protests. The irony is that one of his restaurants is there and he just happened.”Bakalova said in an interview with bTV.

The state action against the restaurant “Vodenitsata”

The State action against the restorer was carried out in Friday night, around 7:30 pm Then, unexpectedly, representatives of the National Revenue Agency, the Regional Health Inspectorate, the Firefighters, the Economic Police and the Labor Inspection invaded, the restaurant team announced at the restaurant “Vodenitsata” in Dragalevtsi.

Customers are visibly worried and interrupt your dinner. State experts dug for about two hours and ended up with protocols stating that no violations had been found, restaurant staff said.

The restaurant team also claims to have felt “unfairly scared and threatened at work.”

The “Watermill” restaurant has been operating since 1998 and is one of the most iconic and emblematic restaurants in our capital. For more than twenty years, our team has welcomed diplomats and world celebrities and we have always been proud of our good reputation and professionalism, the team said.

“If for months we were concerned about the lack of work due to the pandemic, today we are again concerned about our work, because such demonstrations call into question the legality and justice in our country. We accept that part of the obligations of the institutions are the inspections, but with this mass, they seem more like a criminal action. An action not only against our employer, but also against us, who here earn our living honestly. “, the restaurant staff also wrote on the Facebook page.

Before the Special Court of Appeals on Thursday, Veselin Denkov said that he handles 400 people directly and another 100 indirectly. He explained that he had tried to instruct his subordinates over the phone, that he was in the courtyard of the detention center, but since many detainees were waiting for a conversation, he did not have enough time and asked the court to release him.

Anonymous: reEnkov is the link between Bozhkov and the protesters.

The businessman was brought before the Specialized Criminal Court on September 10, 2020 to consider his preventive detention. The prosecution accuses him of participating in a criminal group that was involved in extortion, threats and usury. He also wants his permanent detention.

According to the indictment, the restorer is part of a criminal group, the leader of which is the owner of pawnshops in the Lyulin district, Ivaylo Georgiev, known by the nickname Pifa. He and his son Alexander were arrested on August 28, 2020 during an operation by the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the anti-mafia members of the CDCOC.

The group also included Georgi Bizhilov, known as Joro Tenisa, who was a friend of Vasil Bozhkov, and five others.

The prosecution claims that the criminal group operated from January 2018 to August 28, 2020. The father and son Georgievi engaged in usury with money given to them by Veselin Denkov, the indictment states. They disbursed the sums at a huge interest rate, which ranged from 40% to 70%. In order to cover up their illegal activity, they issued mortgage vouchers in which gold was allegedly promised against the money.

The businessman Veselin Denkov is the owner of a financial house for the granting of loans “Marshall Credit Group”. He explained in court that he knew one of the defendants because he sent people who wanted to receive money in exchange for betting on a property, and his company did not have permission to do so.

About 20 witnesses were questioned in the case, some of whom have a secret identity.

“Pifa’s funding comes from Vesko Vodenitsata. They ask him about any more serious deals.”claimed one of the witnesses, according to prosecutor Maria Doycheva.

However, according to the defense of businessman Ina Lulcheva, the witnesses did not speak specifically. He pointed out that the so-called “Los Pifs” speculate on their relationship with magistrates and police, according to the testimony of the same witness. Lulcheva also presented a document that Denkov’s finance house did not provide money to the other defendants.

Earlier, during the examination of Denkov’s pre-trial detention in the first instance, Lulcheva revealed that witness with secret identity under number 565, said later “The attorney general has launched an investigation against Vasil Bozhkov and other oligarchs, Denkov was very concerned about their usurious activities.”.

“He actively participated together with Vasil Bozhkov in financing the protests,” said the undercover witness. Furthermore, Denkov even went to a meeting with Roma leaders at a Sofia restaurant to get ultras on the street.

“He is the mediator between Vasil Bozhkov and the people on the street.”said the secret witness, Ina Lulcheva said.

According to her “This betrays the real will of the prosecution on the basis of their own assumptions about my client’s involvement in Vasil Bozhkov and the protests, that he be arrested at any cost.”.

According to Lulcheva, the same secret witness said things that were obviously false. For example, she gives that Veso Bradata was linked to the murder of runner Stanka Marangozova, which is not true. Ivo Maslarov was charged in absentia in this case as a guarantor. The runner was killed in October 2019 in Sofia.

The businessman was finally placed in preventive detention, the Specialized Criminal Court ruled.

Besides the Vodenitsata restaurant, Veselin Denkov also owns the famous Lebeda restaurant in Pancharevo, as well as the Boryana restaurant. He owns a financial house to lend.

Other actions against businessmen

Before the state action at the “Vodenitsata” restaurant, two more businessmen complained about the massive inspections.

On September 4, employees of the National Revenue Agency, the Economic Police and the General Directorate of Market Surveillance appeared simultaneously for an inspection at the toy chain’s headquarters. Hypoland. Inspections were also carried out at the chain’s stores.

This came just one day after the chain’s owner Marian Kolev complained about the actions of the police on the night of the first Great People’s Uprising, in which his son was injured. Kolev and his staff openly support the protesters, who have been demanding the resignation of Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov for more than two months.

During the inspections against Kolev, the tax authorities found a discrepancy of BGN 9.60 between the cash in the register and what is written in the cash book.

After Kolev, the owner of Zagrey Winery in Parvomay: Yordan Kostadinov, former NMSS MP and former director of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. He said he had been subjected to inspections by four state institutions after the police detained his employees on their way to protest in Sofia over the first Great People’s Uprising after riding the company bus. No irregularities were found.

One of the main accusations of the protesters is that state institutions are used for the benefit of the government and the prosecution. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, his cabinet ministers, as well as representatives of the judiciary and the prosecution have repeatedly denied that such agencies affect their work.