Member of Parliament Volen Siderov Subject to Proceedings by the State Anti-Corruption Commission

The Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation (ACF) has sent a report to the newly-founded Commission for Anti-Corruption and the Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Property (CAFIAP) concerning the the member of the parliament Volen Nikolov Siderov.

In October 2017, the MP registered a company and should have declared this fact within one week. Mr. Siderov, however, failed to do so. The punishment for such violations is BGN 1,000 – BGN 3,000.

More information on the case is available below:

On 3 October 2017, Volen Siderov became founder and partner in the company Galeria Stil Ltd, registered as an art dealer. According to information available in the Commercial Register, Mr. Siderov owns a majority share of the company, amounting to 75 shares out of a total of 100.

Meanwhile, checks in public registers revealed that the last declaration filed by the MP was dated 28 April 2017, meaning that Mr. Siderov has failed to declare his change in circumstances.

This renders the declaration incomplete and does not provide an accurate account of the MP’s property status – breach of both Art. 39 of the Anti-Corruption and Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Property Act, and Art. 15 of the Prevention and Detection of Conflict of Interest Act which stipulates a seven-day term for declaring altered circumstances.

According to the ACF legal team, through his lack of action, Mr. Siderov has committed an administrative offense and should be penalized.