Bulgarian fraudsters cost Luxembourg's banks 62 million euros
Six Bulgarians have been held in a specialized police operation for being part of an organized crime group that defrauded the Luxembourg banking system. The detentions followed a European warrant for investigation issued by the District Court in Luxembourg. Operational-search actions were carried out in the territories of Varna, Silistra, Sliven, Pernik and Sofia-city.
The Bulgarians concerned registered companies and bank accounts in Spain, through which the criminally appropriated funds from various funds in Luxembourg were siphoned into different accounts in countries outside the EU. The banking system incurred losses amounting to 62 million euros.
A procedure for their extradition has been initiated.
Mortgage lending grew by 29% in 2024
At the end of 2024, the annual growth in housing loans reached 29.1%, with Bulgarian National Bank data showing a significant acceleration compared to the 26.3% reported a month earlier.
The numbers indicate an unprecedented mortgage boom in December - the banks' portfolios having swelled by over 1 billion levs, which is more than twice the usual average monthly levels last year.
Competition for the chief architect of Sofia begins
Sofia will once again have a temporary chief architect. The current arch. Bogdana Panayotova was appointed for a six-month period, which expires next week. Mayor Vasil Terziev will appoint another immediately - on January 29.
After the incumbent arch. Zdravko Zdravkov resigned at the end of last July, the mayor commented that preparations for a competition for his successor have begun, but one has not been announced so far. Now the municipality has finally confirmed that the competition will be announced in the second half of February.
The new temporary architect this time will not have a specific period in the role, but will remain in office until the selection of a permanent one.
Bulgarian fraudsters cost Luxembourg's banks 62 million euros
Six Bulgarians have been held in a specialized police operation for being part of an organized crime group that defrauded the Luxembourg banking system. The detentions followed a European warrant for investigation issued by the District Court in Luxembourg. Operational-search actions were carried out in the territories of Varna, Silistra, Sliven, Pernik and Sofia-city.
