EditProsecutor General’s family member profits from dubious Sofia property deal
The former wife of Bulgaria's acting Prosecutor General’s acquired a property at bargain price from a company liked to an illegal cigarette factory
According to an investigation by EUalive’s media partner BIRD, Evgeniya Sarafova, the ex-wife of Borislav Sarafov, acting Prosecutor General, bought a 683-square-meter property in Sofia’s prestigious Dragalevtsi district for a the bargain price of 1,000 leva (511 euro).
The transaction occurred after a private company, initially named “Vibet Stroy” and later renamed “Creative Urban,” purchased the property for 343,000 leva in December 2024. Sarafova then bought the company, including its assets, for 1,000 leva in April 2025.
In a written response to BIRD, Sarafova defended the deal, claiming the company’s “serious liabilities” offset the value of its assets, justifying the low purchase price. However, no public records, such as bank mortgages or special pledges, confirm these liabilities, and the company’s 2024 financial report remains unpublished.
BIRD’s investigation revealed troubling connections. The company Sarafova acquired was previously owned by Yordan Yordanov, who held it for less than two weeks after purchasing it for 1,000 leva.
The company’s founder, Rosen Yankov, is linked to “Georgi P.P.S.,” a company tied to Svetla Ivanova, the daughter of Stoycho Ivanov. Ivanov is a wanted individual associated with a major illegal cigarette factory uncovered in July 2025 near Momkovo, Svilengrad, during a joint operation by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) and the prosecutor’s office.
Authorities described it as the largest such illegal factory ever discovered in Bulgaria, however the criminal bosses managed to escape.
Suspicions of a cover-up emerged when opposition MPs suggested a possible information leak from the Ministry of Interior to individuals connected to the factory. They requested a parliamentary hearing with Interior Minister Daniel Mitov, but the ruling coalition, including GERB, Bulgarian Socialist Party, “There are such people” and Peevski’s “DPS – New Beginning,” blocked the proposal.
Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov has long been a contentious figure, with persistent criticism from European reports and activist publications highlighting systemic issues within the judiciary. Despite these concerns, little has changed.
Sarafov assumed the role of acting Prosecutor General in 2023 following the abrupt fall of his predecessor, Ivan Geshev, who lost favor with the ruling GERB party, Delyan Peevski (sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act for corruption) party DPS, and the majority of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
Initially appointed on an interim basis, Sarafov’s tenure was extended indefinitely on 9 July, 2024, by the SJC’s Prosecutorial College. This decision relied on a questionable loophole in the Judiciary Act, which took effect on 21 January, 2024, and explicitly limits interim leadership roles in the supreme courts and prosecutor’s office to six months, a deadline that expired on 21 July, 2024.
In July, the European Commission reported for the consecutive year that Bulgaria has a low number of convictions for high-level corruption, with inconclusive data on court cases. Additionally, public perception of judicial independence in Bulgaria remains significantly low.
Broader questions about Sarafov’s family wealth
The financial dealings of Sarafov’s relatives have raised red flags for years. In May 2023, the investigative outlet Bivol reported that Sarafov’s son, Bobi Sarafov and Evgeniya Sarafova had become significant players in the construction sector. Notably, a property was donated to Bobi Sarafov by Svetlin Tanchev, a former GERB MP and Sarafov’s cousin.
Additionally, on the day Sarafov was appointed acting Prosecutor General, BIRD revealed that he had previously investigated businessman Stanimir Zharkov, who later became a GERB municipal councilor and allegedly gifted properties, including a house in Prolesha, to Bobi Sarafov. Sarafov Sr. omitted this property from his declarations.
The so-called “Apartmentgate” scandal in 2019 further spotlighted Bobi Sarafov’s property acquisitions, which involved purchases at below-market prices.
Despite prosecutorial and tax audits, no irregularities were officially found. In February 2024, special prosecutor Daniela Taleva, appointed by the SJC to investigate claims against Sarafov and his deputies, declined to probe his family’s property dealings, citing insufficient evidence of criminal activity.
Unanswered questions and lack of accountability
In late 2024, the civil movement BOETS alleged that Sarafov’s son and ex-wife received funds from a transport company with longstanding ties to GERB and DPS. A signal was sent to Taleva, but no investigation has been reported.
The case raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and potential conflicts of interest within Bulgaria’s judiciary, particularly regarding the acting Prosecutor General and his family’s financial activities.
As Sarafov remains a candidate for the permanent Prosecutor General role, these unresolved allegations continue to erode public trust in the institution.
The full text of the investigation by BIRD in Bulgarian can be found here.
Caption: Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov participated in a discussion on the topic “Together against cruelty! New threats and effective solutions in the protection of animals” on 12 May 2025, at the Grand Hotel Sofia. BGNES/STEFAN VASILEV
Updated: September 2, 2025 - 06:11
