The "Girl" from the Gambling Scandal: Bozhkov Offered Me 10,000 BGN a Day

 

Former chairwoman of the State Gambling Commission (SGC) Maria Filipova, referred to as "the girl" in text messages between gambling boss Vasil Bozhkov, sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act, and former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, finally testified in court on Wednesday after a series of failed court hearings. In the courtroom, she said that Vasil Bozhkov offered her 10,000 leva per day to do what he wanted in the gambling industry. The goal was to revoke or grant licenses.

Filipova testified before the Sofia City Court in the case against Bozhkov, who is being investigated for organized crime group extortion, official and corruption crimes. Bozhkov is also charged with attempted rape of Filipova, as well as incitement to murder.

Filipova's first meeting with Bozhkov was in her office, when he came straight there. Filipova, quoted by BTA, said that she refused Bozhkov to accept the money he offered because he works according to the law. Maria Filipova said in court that she initially felt scared after the conversation with the businessman.

"Maria Filipova was questioned during the pre-trial proceedings, but for the first time today she began to claim that Bozhkov offered her 10,000 leva per day. She had not previously claimed anything like this. In previous interrogations she claimed this regarding other defendants in the case," commented attorney Georgi Gatev, who represents Bozhkov.

Bozhkov was brought to trial as an instigator in complicity with officials from the State Gambling Commission, who allowed fees due under the Gambling Act not to be collected in full. As a result of the criminal activity, damages were caused to the state budget in the amount of 559,739,164.70 leva.

Maria Filipova is the only one of the three chairpersons of the DKH in the five years in which Bozhkov's companies did not pay the full amount of the due fees, who did not get an indictment, but turned out to be a key witness for the prosecution. Her career growth started from the Ministry of Justice, where, according to media reports, in 2012 she became close to the then Deputy Minister Plamen Georgiev. Filipova stayed at the DKH for a short time - only about a year, until March 2019.

She was then elected Deputy Chair of the Financial Supervision Commission, and has recently been Chair of the Consumer Protection Commission, where she has shown unprecedented activity for this body.

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