Bulgaria: Officials ‘to Be Fired’ Over Illegal Building Row

Ivan Simidchiev, head of the Department for National Control of Construction, DNCC, and Stefan Marashev, head of the customs office in the town of Svilengrad, are expected to lose their jobs due to a row over houses constructed without proper building permits in the southern part of the country.

State tax officials took a helicopter ride last week to map out luxury homes and pointed to a number of properties, built years ago around Ivailovgrad dam, that did not have required permission for construction.

"I will ask for the resignation of Mr. Simidchiev, the head of DNCC. We see that DNCC has been inactive for years," Minister Plevneliev said after a government meeting.

One of the houses on the dam’s shore belongs to Marashev, who has been quoted by a local television station as saying that his property was legalized shortly after the aerial inspection. He has refused to give any comments before he is officially informed about his dismissal, Bulgarian National Radio reported.

Plevneliev also promised that all the illegal properties built around the Ivailovgrad dam would be demolished. "We have found 45 illegal buildings and we’ll start the prodecure for their removal," Plevneliev said, adding that the land around 50 other dams in the country will be inspected for illegal construction.

The dismissals of the two state officials are being made at the personal request of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the government said in a statement.