A prime official believed to be behind Bulgaria’s ongoing safety of OneCoin has been fired.
On June twelfth, Bulgaria’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) voted to dismiss Ivan Geshev as Prosecutor-Common.
On June fifteenth, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev signed off on the SJC’s decree, successfully firing Geshev from his put up.
The Sofia Globe experiences Geshev (proper) was dumped following a 16/4 vote cut up.
The vote stemmed from a common consensus that “Geshev introduced the judiciary into disrepute.”
The particular occasion that triggered that consensus was a Might fifteenth information convention, throughout which Geshev “accused politicians of interfering within the work of the prosecutor’s workplace.”
Previous the Might information convention was a February 2023 report from BIRD, alleging OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova was “killed on a yacht” again in 2018.
The hit was reported to have been ordered by Christophoros Amanatidis-Taki, one of the infamous members of Bulgaria’s legal society.
The report stays an unverified concept however set off a political firestorm in Bulgaria.
The start of that firestorm was the implication of Bulgarian crimelords being sheltered by authorities – particularly Geshev’s Workplace and Mikhail Naumov, head of Bulgaria’s Federal Murder Division.
In response to BIRD’s article, one in every of Taki’s associates filed 5 defamation lawsuits towards BIRD journalists and editorial employees.
As a substitute of investigating the lead, Geshev’s Workplace locked arms with Taki.
On March sixteenth Geshev held a information convention, throughout which he denounced BIRD’s reporting as “an alleged plot to incriminate him and the high-ranking magistrates and law enforcement officials.”
Additional revealing what his Workplace has been as much as as a substitute of investigating Taki, Geshev leaked unredacted correspondence between BIRD journalists and a previously protected supply on April seventh.
The supply was later arrested on drug possession costs, in what seems to be an try and stop additional interplay with BIRD journalists.
Issues additional escalated on April thirteenth, when Geshev introduced his Workplace had initiated a legal investigation into Bulgarian journalists overlaying the scandal (together with the 2 BIRD journalists who broke the Ruja yacht story).
This transfer was extensively condemned by media watchdog teams.
Two weeks later Geshev was the reported goal of a automobile bomb assault. Media retailers sympathetic to Geshev, have been fast accountable journalists for the alleged assault.
The timing of the assault was extremely suspicious. Personally I feel it was staged to drum up help for Geshev ignoring crime and going after journalists.
Members of the Bulgarian Nationwide Meeting have been additionally skeptical of the assault. As reported by Politico;
Many opposition politicians, nonetheless, suspected political theater, with Geshev build up a faux story of persecution because the political tide turns towards him.
Atanas Atanasov, co-chairman of the reformist Democratic Bulgaria get together, added there was “clear proof of staging.”
Public remarks from Bulgarian politicians ridiculing him didn’t sit properly with Geshev.
On Might fifteenth Geshev held one other news-conference, this time pledging ” to rid the Nationwide Meeting of its “political rubbish.””
For the SJC, that was the straw that broke the camel’s again.
The Supreme Judicial Council cited this outburst in explaining its vote to take away him, arguing he had crossed purple traces.
“The rules of ‘politeness and tolerance’ and ‘honesty and decency’ within the Code of Moral Habits of Bulgarian Magistrates have been violated together with his remarks at a press convention held on Might 15, 2023.”
As a substitute of acknowledging he was fired, Geshev framed it as a resignation.
“That is the final time I’m talking to you as a Justice of the Peace, after I complied with the legislation, and after 30 years of working for the folks, I’m now resigning.
Ivan Geshev states additional that the work of the prosecutor’s workplace towards “legal oligarchs and towards get together leaders with sticky fingers” has led, previously few months to “the unprecedented unity of politicians in prime positions, mafia and shady companies” who’re attempting to “convey beneath management and subdue the prosecutor’s workplace”.
Riiiiiiiiighhhh…………t.
It’s value noting that after Geshev’s career-ending outburst, over in South Africa Karassimir Kamenov was shot useless on Might twenty fifth.
Kamenov, a former long-time affiliate of Christophoros Amanatidis-Taki, is believed to be behind the March 2022 homicide of Lyubomir Ivanov.
Ivanov was former head of the legal division of Bulgaria’s nationwide police. Paperwork BIRD relied on to place collectively their “Ruja Ignatova was murdered on a yacht” report have been sourced from Ivanov’s private protected.
I do know the names are sophisticated to comply with however we’ve principally come full-circle again to OneCoin.
In accordance with Dimitar Stoyanov, one of many BIRD journalists who broke the Ruja yacht story, previous to Kamenov’s homicide he “had given proof earlier than a overseas jurisdiction within the final six months “in reference to key legal instances with a world ingredient”.”
That is believed to be the US’ ongoing legal investigation into OneCoin.
The day after Kamenov’s homicide, BIRD reported Kamenov “was about to say extra to US investigators”.
On the time of his homicide Kamenov had an Interpol Purple Discover out on him, issued by Bulgaria. Geshev, it appears, might need been conscious Kamenov was squealing and needed to repatriate him.
South African authorities knew Kamenov was hiding within the nation as early as April sixth, 2023. Why they did nothing stays unclear.
With Geshev gone it’s tempting to think about we would lastly see Bulgarian authorities raid OneCoin’s Sofia workplaces.
Below Geshev’s watch, the $4 billion Ponzi scheme continues to function from the identical workplaces Ruja Ignatova ran the rip-off from.
After studying the FBI was after her, Ignatova disappeared in October 2017. The Ponzi aspect of OneCoin died in January 2017 however pyramid recruiting has continued for nearly six years since.
Amanatidis-Taki is a powerful contender for who’s finally pulling the strings at OneCoin’s Sofia workplace. There are rumblings Bulgarian politicians are additionally on the payroll.
So, what occurs now?
Todd Prine, a senior correspondent for RFE/RL Bulgaria writes;
The council’s rushed vote, triggered by a crude comment Geshev made about parliamentarians slightly than his actions as prosecutor, was something however a victory for Bulgarian judicial independence and reform, consultants stated.
It reeked of political intrigue, which has been on the coronary heart of the judiciary’s — and the nation’s — issues.
Geshev … is unlikely to vanish from Bulgarian political life. In a YouTube assertion on June 19, he stated he had resigned as prosecutor-general and hinted that he would enter politics.
There’s undoubtedly much more to this past OneCoin however, so far as BehindMLM goes, that’s our major curiosity Geshev’s downfall.
It’d be nice to see Geshev’s successor open a correct investigation into OneCoin, its ongoing Sofia operations and the apparent ties to Amanatidis-Taki.
For now although, I’m cautiously optimistic however not holding my breath.
The interconnectivity between Bulgarian politics and arranged crime developed over many years. Firing one corrupt prosecutor isn’t going to vary the system in a single day.
