First Hearing of the Defamation Lawsuit Against Nikolay Nedelkov, the Metropolitan Inspectorate Director Who Reported Sofia’s 240 Unregulated Dumpsites

Today is the first hearing of the defamation lawsuit filed against Eng. Nikolay Nedelkov, the director of the Metropolitan Inspectorate in Sofia who first reported a scheme for illegally dumping construction waste and spoils that had created more than 240 unregulated dumpsites in Sofia Municipality.

The Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation (ACF) exposed the long-running scheme last summer in the investigation Lords of the Dust. The ACF then called on the law enforcement authorities to investigate and identify the perpetrators and patrons of the wrongdoing.

In September, the public prosecution initiated proceedings. However, there is no information about what has been achieved and what concrete steps have been taken by investigators.

Meanwhile, today is the first hearing of the defamation lawsuit against Eng. Nedelkov, the director of the Metropolitan Inspectorate, who first raised the alarm about the case. The claimant is Eng. Lyubka Lyubenova, the former head of the Sector for Control of District Inspectorates.

Eng. Lyubenova gained notoriety following the ACF investigation, which aired a recording in which she claimed that the patron of the scheme was Eng. Nikolai Kyuchukov, head of the Construction Pollution Control Sector since September 2011.  Following the scandal, Eng. Kyuchukov was dismissed from the post.

In the recording, made without Eng. Lyubenova’s knowledge, she claimed that Eng. Kyuchukov had received significant material benefits in exchange for protecting the illegal dump sites. She also suggested to her boss, Eng. Nedelkov, that “we should regulate this process with the right people and in the right manner…so that it will be as it has always been”, because “why should anyone take from you what is rightfully yours as director”.

On 30 October 2024, Eng. Lyubenova was dismissed from her post in the Metropolitan Inspectorate. Several days later, on 5 November, she filed a claim against her former boss. In the complaint lodged with the Sofia Regional Court, Eng. Lyubenova accused Eng. Nedelkov of making defamatory statements about her, adding that the recording was “clearly manipulated” and “taken out of context”. In addition, the presented facts were wrong and harmed her reputation in the eyes of her colleagues and the public. A claim for compensation for the sustained damages amounting to BGN 10,000 was also made.

In a nutshell, while the public prosecution and other investigative authorities are silent, the main witness in this case is subjected to an obvious attack.

The ACF will continue monitoring the case. We again call on the competent authorities to inform the public about their progress in investigating the scheme, which has harmed the budget of Sofia Municipality and created significant environmental and public health risks.