Bulgaria’s “Vazrazhdane” party leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, has alleged a state-sponsored cover-up surrounding a recent case involving a former lodge in the Petrohan area, claiming the involvement of a “criminal pedophile sect.” Kostadinov made the accusations during a February 13th appearance on bTV, calling for political accountability.
Kostadinov stated that his party has been examining materials submitted to Parliament regarding the case, though he personally has not reviewed them due to his absence from parliamentary sessions. He asserted that the lack of any identified agents from the State National Security Agency (DANS) present at the lodge, coupled with numerous coincidences, points to a deliberate effort to shield the group. “I personally believe that a protective umbrella was extended over this criminal pedophile sect because we see too many coincidences,” Kostadinov said.
He further claimed that inquiries made to the Ministry of Interior during a parliamentary hearing regarding the presence of current or former politicians at the lodge were met with a response indicating an ongoing investigation and an inability to provide a definitive answer. Kostadinov interpreted this as confirmation of political involvement.
The allegations follow recent admissions by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev and former Environment Minister Borislav Sandov that they had visited the former Petrohan lodge. Kostadinov highlighted that Sandov admitted to multiple visits, while Terziev disclosed having donated between 70,000 and 80,000 euros to the organization operating the lodge, admitting he did not know the exact amount. Kostadinov criticized the lack of transparency regarding how the donated funds were used.
Kostadinov called for Terziev’s resignation, stating that donating such a sum to a “criminal pedophile sect” warrants consequences. He drew parallels to the case of Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting a potential connection due to the timing of the revelations, which occurred shortly after the release of Epstein’s files. “I think this case is connected to the ‘Epstein’ files, because there is a striking coincidence between the incident in Petrohan, which happened literally five days after the files were released,” Kostadinov stated, adding that this was his personal opinion and not based on concrete evidence.
“Vazrazhdane” has also received information regarding a similar situation unfolding in the Rhodope Mountains, Kostadinov revealed. He described a scenario involving state-owned land leased at a low price, subsequently fenced off, and used for “very strange practices,” with local residents’ complaints to the police going unanswered. Kostadinov indicated that his party would file an official report if the information is verified.
Kostadinov also addressed proposed changes to the Electoral Code that would limit the number of polling stations abroad, particularly in countries outside the European Union. He argued that the changes would effectively restrict voting to Turkey, alleging manipulation of the electoral process there and questioning the connection of voters to Bulgaria.
