Journalists from the EUReporter said they had found evidence that the family of the former Deputy Minister of Economy of Bulgaria Alexander Manolev, whom the United States imposed sanctions on in 2021 and included in the Magnitsky List, entered into contracts with the Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency for almost €400 million.
The publication notes that in 2021, Manolev, his wife and children, as well as four other Bulgarian politicians were sanctioned by the US State Department. The family of a politician cannot open bank accounts or engage in entrepreneurial activities. At the same time, it turned out that Romania and Ukraine allow Manolev to receive income from the arms trade, EUReporter notes.
A year ago, Manolev’s father, Dimitar, who was not subject to sanctions, acquired the Bulgarian company BULGARIAN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT (“BIEM”). As journalists note, through old connections in the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Manolev forced the state-owned VMZ ammunition plant to sign several contracts with BIEM.
Journalists write that Manolev, trying to hide his personal involvement so as not to harm relations with Russia, and bypassing the sanctions policy of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense - after all, the Ministry of Defense does not have the right to enter into agreements with companies whose owners or affiliates are under sanctions, especially the United States - decided to supply VSW products through the Romanian state intermediary Romarm.
On April 4, 2024, the Defense Procurement Agency and Romarm signed two contracts for the supply of disposable grenade launchers worth €104.8 million, media reports indicate. Subsequently, a significant amount of the advance was transferred from the Agency to Romarm, and from there to BIEM.
