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Scandalous salaries on a platform that raised millions for donation drives. BTV’s investigation into charitable giving has caused quite a stir. HelpKarma’s technical director took BGN 80,000 for a month.
300,000 BGN of the donations turned out to be in the platform owner’s account, and an “apartment loan” was granted with donor money.
All on the subject by Maria Tsancarova and cameraman Petar Petrov.
The HelpKarma platform reports 21 million BGN, collected from donations, over two and a half years. Approximately 13 and a half million of them have reached people in need. The foundation claims that in its own accounts as of October 22 there are almost 5 million and 200 thousand leva. Where are the remaining around 2 million and 300 thousand BGN?
There is an explanation for part of the amount. HelpKarma retains a percentage of donations to maintain and grow its business. Most of the money withheld by donors goes to pay employees. In 2018, the reported amount is BGN 214,000, and last year the amount was more than three times higher: BGN 713,000.
– What do you think of a salary of BGN 19,000 in a public benefit foundation?
Konstantin Krastev: BGN 19,000?
– How are you, monthly salary?
Konstantin Krastev: Quite a high number. Why? What do you mean?
– How about a monthly salary of 42,000 BGN?
Konstantin Krastev: Pretty tall, but it’s definitely not about us.
– Is it possible to have a person who receives 80,000 BGN per month in a foundation of public importance?
Konstantin Krastev: It’s probably possible, I don’t know. Somewhere in the world there probably is, I have no idea.
– What you think?
Slavcho Slavchev: It depends on the person. Yes, 19 thousand – this is a salary that a particular person takes for a particular job. I can give you an example.
– Slavcho Slavchev.
Slavcho Slavchev: Yes, it is true. This is my salary that I received.
– And you took 80 thousand a month?
Slavcho Slavchev: 80 thousand salary – no.
– Are you sure?
Slavcho Slavchev: Yes, when you see this information, you could not have taken 80 thousand, maybe it was combined with an annual bonus.
Slavcho Slavchev is the technical director of HelpKarma. bTV has data from which it can be seen that in December 2019 more than BGN 80,000 was collected, and over time its remuneration varies: from BGN 22,000 in 2018 to BGN 40,000 per month in 2019. or more than BGN 775,000 for 2 years and 4 months.
My work is not free, Slavcho Slavchev said.
“Slavi’s work is expensive, but it is necessary because HelpKarma as technical development would not be what it is without his work,” said Konstantin Krastev.
Other amounts are also noted in HelpKarma reports. In 2018, 319,000 BGN of accounts receivable were recorded in “loans granted”:
According to the owner of the platform, it is a technical problem with a financial intermediary, through which part of the donations were made. To solve the problem, instead of the foundation’s account, the financial intermediary transferred the money to Krastev’s personal account.
Konstantin Krastev: They were in my bank account, but I did, I transferred them next year, so it should be in the next report …
– It is a matter of days to translate them, not years.
Konstantin Krastev: I haven’t kept them for years.
– And how long did you keep them?
Konstantin Krastev: I have to see that.
In 2019, the foundation granted a loan again. According to a letter from the owner worth BGN 60,000.
Konstantin Krastev: One day Slavi called me and said: “I want to buy an apartment” “
– Can my colleague ask you for a loan?
Konstantin Krastev: We do not give loans, no, sorry.
– Well, are you Slavic?
Konstantin Krastev: Slavi is a very special person, so he has a slightly different status from the others. Slavi is my friend and relative, but …
– For friends and family, maybe from donor money, right?
Konstantin Krastev: This is not donor money.
– This is money from donors who donated it to support the foundation.
Konstantin Krastev: I repeat, Slavi will get his money back.
In the end, Slavchev did not buy an apartment due to the emergency situation with COVID-19, and after the interview his debt was paid. But despite his good salary, he did not return the money, but to his boss Konstantin Krastev.
This follows from a money order that Krastev himself provided us. In a letter he sent us, Krastev stated that after our conversation they will change the status of HelpKarma and will no longer give loans.
HelpKarma wrote tonight on Facebook that they are under enormous media and public pressure and that they will announce their official opinion on the case soon. They ensure that all funds raised are available and protected.
“As always, we will not allow ourselves to delay any translation of a campaign. We continue to work at the same pace, care and empathy for you and all the donors we want to pay special attention to; not a single level in HelpKarma has been ‘deviated,” he says. the notice.
