The person alleged to have ordered the homicide of Lyubomir Ivanov, former head of the prison division of Bulgaria’s nationwide police, was murdered in South Africa final week.
Krassimir “Kuro” Nikolaev Kamenov, who has an Interpol crimson discover out on him, was “shot useless in Cape City, South Africa.”
Kamenov’s spouse and two different victims had been all gunned down within the residence the household was staying in.
Shortly earlier than 8:30 within the morning. 4 our bodies with gunshot wounds have been present in a home in Cape City. All aged between 40 and 50.
The second lady shot useless is believed to be their housekeeper and the id of the opposite man is being clarified.
To recap, Lyubomir Ivanov was murdered in March 2022. The person who pulled the set off and an confederate have already been recognized and charged in Bulgaria.
Following his homicide, paperwork had been present in Ivanov’s private protected which implicated Christophoros Amanatidis-Taki in an alleged 2018 plot to homicide OneCoin’s Ruja Ignatova at sea.
Based mostly on what’s publicly identified at time of publication, I’m not satisfied that’s how Ignatova died (assuming she is in actual fact useless, which is very possible).
Nonetheless, Kamenov’s dying is fairly suspicious.
Dimitar Stoyanov, a BIRD journalist who broke the unique 2018 Ignatova homicide plot story, claims
Kamenov had given proof earlier than a overseas jurisdiction within the final six months “in reference to key prison circumstances with a world component”.
There is no such thing as a data whether or not they’re associated to the OneCoin crypto-pyramid and the investigations into the laundering of tons of thousands and thousands of {dollars} via this scheme led by US authorities.
Kamenov had solely not too long ago been charged with Ivanov’s dying in March 2023. That very same month he was additionally indicted as a part of a conspiracy in opposition to Bulgarian Lawyer Normal Ivan Geshev.
Geshev’s workplace additionally not too long ago opened an investigation into Stoyanov and fellow BIRD journalist Atanas Tchobanov.
To assist his claims and body himself as a sufferer, Geshev’s Workplace is believed to have staged an assassination try a number of weeks after the March bulletins had been made.
Geshev’s pursuit of BIRD’s journalists is in lockstep with six defamation lawsuits filed by Razmig Kerope “Ami” Chakaryan (proper).
Chakaryan filed go well with on behalf of Christophoros Amanatidis-Taki, in retaliation for reporting on the alleged 2018 Ignatova homicide plot.
Amanatidis-Taki, who had enterprise dealings with Onecoin and Ignatova, is a central determine in Bulgarian organized crime.
Amanatidis-Taki was wished by Bulgarian authorities, however prosecutors dropped drug-related prison fees in opposition to him in 2015.
“Taki”, as he’s identified, is believed to presently be hiding out in Dubai. He stays a central determine in Bulgarian organized crime and stays underneath investigation for quite a few alleged crimes.
What’s important to notice is we’ve Bulgarian organized crime and the Bulgarian Lawyer Normal’s Workplace concentrating on journalists reporting on OneCoin associated corruption.
Geshev’s Workplace additionally focused Kamenov after it grew to become identified he was allegedly cooperating with worldwide authorities. Two months later, Kamenov is gunned down in South Africa.
Underscoring all of that is Bulgarian authorities, underneath Geshev’s watch, failing to research and prosecute anybody concerned in OneCoin.
OneCoin to at the present time nonetheless operates brazenly from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia.
As Martin Himmelheber from NRWZ notes, Kamenov was additionally a “long-time associate” of Taki’s.
It isn’t a stretch that Taki and Geshev’s Workplace, who’re actively concentrating on journalists reporting on OneCoin corruption in Bulgaria, had a hand in his homicide. That there’s a robust motive for one or each of the events’ involvement is plain.
I believe a lot of verifying whether or not Kamenov’s homicide is tied to OneCoin lies in who he was cooperating with and over what.
If that cooperation was with the DOJ and in relation to OneCoin cash laundering inside Bulgaria, that is possible what Geshev and Taki try to cowl up. Or a minimum of within the case of Kamenov, stop additional proof being shared.
Quoting Willem Els, a senior coaching coordinator on the Transnational Threats and Worldwide Crimes Programme on the Institute for Safety Research, South Africa’s News24 experiences;
Each crimson discover will get distributed. Interpol SA has no excuse to say they didn’t know as a result of they did.
There lies our problem. If we’ve a weak Interpol, communication with native police doesn’t exist. You might be solely nearly as good as your native actor, and in SA, we aren’t as robust as we’re speculated to be.
If Interpol SA had been conscious of Kamenov hiding in South Africa, inaction might alternatively assist the declare Kamenov was cooperating with authorities outdoors of Bulgaria.
I’d be way more inclined to imagine Kamenov was aiding with a wider cash laundering investigation than the alleged 2018 Ignatova homicide plot.
Data Kamenov was sharing may very nicely pertain to as of but unknown actors Ignatova was working with, each inside Bulgaria and overseas.
US prison investigations are sometimes locked down pending arrest of the suspect(s). Within the case of OneCoin, the DOJ will little doubt place a good deeper emphasis on safety.
As per Frank Schneider’s OneCoin indictment, he stands accused of “offering confidential police data to OneCoin’s principals, resulting in Ruja Ignatova evading arrest”.
Schneider’s intel is believed to have been sourced from Bulgarian officers, who had been a part of the DOJ’s worldwide case briefs.
Sadly, as with something OneCoin associated, we’re as soon as once more caught ready for additional developments to get a clearer image on Kamenov’s dying.
Kamenov and his spouse are survived by their youngsters, all three of whom had been in class on the time of their homicide.
