According to the notification of the US State Department dated June 2, 2021 (https://www.state.gov/public-designation-of-five-bulgarian-public-officials-due-to- involvement-in-significant-corruption/), the former Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria Alexander Manolev (pictured) and 4 other high-ranking Bulgarian officials were sanctioned due to their involvement in significant corruption.
The decision to impose sanctions on the 5 Bulgarian officials, including Manolev, is based on the “Magnitsky Act”, the implementation of which also took place in the EU and Canada and which consists of economic sanctions against corrupt foreign government officials – seizure of property, accounts and, specifically for the USA, the entry ban.
In addition to Manolev, US publicly designated Manolev’s wife, Nadya Manoleva, and his children, Alexa, Joanna, and Dimitar.
Today Manolev and the closest family members cannot open bank accounts in the banks of the civilized world for business activities for themselves or their enterprises. At the same time, as it turned out, Romania and Ukraine helped the Manolev family to earn profits from the arms trade.
A year ago, Manolev’s father – Dimitar Manolev (who was not personally sanctioned by the US) bought the arms dealing company “BULGARIAN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT” (“BIEM” – http://www.biem.biz).
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In the past, this company belonged to the well-known Bulgarian arms businessman Peter Mandjoukov.
As it turned out, Manolev’s family, due to the “old” connections in the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria, persuaded the director of the Bulgarian state plant “VMZ” to sign several contracts for the supply of ammunition with “BIEM”.
Manolev, trying to cover up his own involvement in the supply of these products to Ukraine as much as possible, taking into account the presence of political risks associated with the possible activities of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria (Russia has still saved some political influence in Bulgaria; Manolev, being a politician, definitely doesn’t want to spoil his relations), offered those products not directly, but through the Romanian state company “Romarm”. It is interesting that “Romarm” didn’t pay any attention to the nature of “BIEM” and signed the corresponding contracts with Bulgarians, becoming a “buffer” between Manolev’s “BIEM” and the Ukrainian state enterprise “Defence Procurement Agency” (belonging to the Ukrainian MOD).
On April 4th 2024, “Romarm” and “DPA” signed two contracts – №21/4-117-DK-24 and №21/4- 118-DK-24 for the supply of the 40 000 disposable (one-time use) grenade launchers BULSPIKE for the total of 104,8 mln. EUR; shortly after the huge advance payment was transferred from “DPA” to “Romarm” and then to “BIEM”.
One more reason of Manolev to hide himself behind “Romarm” is the sanction policy of the Ukrainian MOD – they are not allowed to sign any contracts directly with the companies which have owners, directors or any other associates under sanctions – especially under US sanctions… It is strange that “Romarm” doesn’t support the same policy.
The Bulgarian export license, a copy of which we managed to get, clearly confirms the presence of “BIEM” in the chain of supplies:
After signing those two contracts, “Romarm” and “DPA” contracted one more type of the same grenade launcher—thermobaric—for the quantity of 20,000 launchers with a total amount of 52,4 million. EUR.
Later in summer, “ROMARM” and “DPA” signed the next big contract for the additional supply of 90 000 BULSPIKE disposable grenade launchers for 238,5 mln. EUR. And what is interesting is that for the quantity of 90 000 pieces “DPA” already had less expensive proposals, though they decided to stick to “BIEM”-“Romarm” offer.
As it appears now, the tandem “BIEM”-“Romarm” has signed the contracts with the Ukrainian “Defence Procurement Agency” total worth of 395,7 mln EUR.
Assuming that the margin in the defence supplies can be between 10% to 15%, the family of the sanctioned politician Manolev is expecting to receive roughly 40-60 mln. EUR from the deals with “Romarm”.
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