site.btaVolya Leader Mareshki Charged over Unfair Trade Practices

Sofia, July 13 (BTA) - Bulgarian National Assembly Deputy Chairman and Volya leader Vesselin Mareshki told the media on Thursday that he has been charged with unfair trade practices, aggressive leaflet distribution and attempted coercion. He has been released on his own recognizance.

Mareshki denied taking over pharmacy businesses through exerting pressure on the owners. He said there were no witness statements against him. Mareshki said he was a victim of political repression calling the charges "a way to keep a tight rein on him and an attempt at blackmailing", as well as a way to divert attention from the cases with Corporate Commercial Bank, the National Palace of Culture, a retrofitting programme and Sofia Airport.

He did not say who was behind the repression campaign. The Volya leader added he did not know whether the prosecution service was carrying out political orders, but according to him the charges had been brought up because of the opposition activities of Volya MPs.

Also Mareshki said that if the ruling coalition did not begin to work for the good of the Bulgarian state and businesses, his party would take steps to topple the cabinet.

Prosecution service spokesperson Roumiana Arnaoudova told the media that seven pharmacy owners had testified against Mareshki and there was even more evidence. She denied that the case against Mareshki was delayed intentionally, adding that the prosecution carried out an objective investigation according to the legal procedure and rules. She said: "The prosecution doesn't invent charges."

On Friday the prosecution service will press charges against another two Volya MPs, Kristina Taskova and Plamen Hristov, over related crimes, said Arnaoudova.

Mareshki is founder and leader of the Volya Party, and Taskova is Deputy Floor Leader of its 12-member parliamentary group.

The three are under investigation for blackmail. Prosecutors have gathered evidence showing that between the autumn of 2012 and the end of 2015 Mareshki allegedly threatened seven pharmacy owners in Dobrich, Vidin, Pleven and Sofia to damage their property and drive their business to bankruptcy. In two of the cases, in Sofia and Vidin, Mareshki was allegedly aided by Hristov and Taskova.

According to the prosecution case, the purpose of the blackmail was to force the pharmacy owners in the five cities to transfer their corporate participating interests to companies owned or controlled by Mareshki or go out of business. In some of the cases, the alleged purpose was to force the pharmacy owners to purchase medicines on unprofitable terms from Mareshki's medicinal products warehouse.