Strongly opposing assessments of the personality and activities of the murdered Martin Bozanov, known by the nickname The Notary, were expressed in the program “In Focus“, where his first cousin Alexander Mihov and Ivayla Bakalova presented their positions.
The interviews outlined two completely different pictures - on the one hand, of a correct, principled person, and on the other - of a self-forgetful swindler with influence in the judicial system.
Alexander Mihov, Martin Bozanov's first cousin on his father's side, stated that the two grew up together and maintained a close relationship until the very end. “He has no siblings, but it was perceived that I became his brother, as and he – mine“, said Mihov. According to him, Bozanov was “a man of his word“, who was extremely keen on clear and precise relations, was meticulous and wrote down the details in every new undertaking.
Mihov emphasized that there was never a business relationship between them. “We always distinguished these things. Each of us had independent activities“, he specified.
According to Mihov, Martin Bozanov was involved in various commercial activities over the years – from restaurants and cafes in “Fakulteta“, “Druzhba“ and “Lozenets“, to buying and selling cars and real estate, as well as renting cars. “His main activity over the years was buying and selling cars and real estate, as well as consulting activity“, said Mihov.
After his murder, the two businesses he managed at the time - a bakery and a grocery store - were closed.
When asked about the nickname “The Notary”, Mihov said that he had only heard about it over time and denied that it meant anything specific. “The fact that someone uses such a name does not mean that the person was like that“, he said.
Regarding the allegations that Bozanov was a lobbyist in the judicial system or committed property fraud, Mihov was categorical that if this were the case, it would have been proven over the years. “We are talking about a period of 20 years, governments, ministers, police forces have changed. If there were such crimes, why were they not proven?“, he asked and added that after Bozanov's death they attribute “all sorts of things to a person who is no longer there, in order to protect himself“.
A radically different version was presented by Ivayla Bakalova. She said that she learned about Martin Bozanov at the end of 2020, after her husband was detained. “People started calling saying they could help. That's how I found out about him“, she explained.
According to her, Bozanov called her on the phone, introducing himself as a consultant with connections. “He told me: ‘There is no justice in this country. Everything is managed by us. If you want to get out of custody, we need to meet,’”, Bakalova said. She emphasized that she had never met him in person.
According to Bakalova, instead of Bozanov, lawyer Emil Piskov was sent to the arranged meeting, who is stated that for an amount not less than 100,000 euros, a procedure could be initiated to release her husband from custody. “It was directly said that if it was not paid, he would rot in custody“, she said.
According to her, Bozanov's role was to receive the money and “distribute it to the floors“. “He claimed that he was talking to Mr. Emil Piskov and that everything went through him“, Bakalova added.
Regarding the audio recordings, which Bakalova claims are in Bozanov's voice, Alexander Mihov stated that he did not hear any specific amounts mentioned in them. He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the phones from which the communication was made, calling for official inquiries.
A Greek businessman blackmailed by a notary has sentenced the Prosecutor's Office to 50,000 lv.
However, Bakalova was categorical that Bozanov's activities were backed by serious protection. “There is no way you can commit fraud and blackmail people for so many years if you don't have an umbrella from a much higher level. In my opinion - political“, she said. She admitted possible connections with senior figures in the judiciary, including publicly mentioned names, although she stressed that there was no direct evidence.
Alexander Mihov told about the day of the murder, when he received a call from Bozanov's wife. “The words ‘Martin was shot’ were ringing in my head. Until the last time I thought he was wounded, until I saw him“, he shared. According to him, the manner in which the murder was committed indicates that it was a contract killing.
Two years later, according to Mihov, there has been no real progress in the investigation. “Nothing is being done "It was more important to conduct searches than to find the perpetrator," he said, expressing doubt that the truth would come out.
The participation of Alexander Mihov and Ivayla Bakalova in “In Focus“ outlined two diametrically opposed versions of Martin Bozanov – The Notary. While his close relative describes him as a principled and non-conflict person with no proven crimes, Bakalova defines him as a key figure in a scheme for extortion and influence. However, the investigation into his murder remains without result, and the questions surrounding his true role – without a final answer.
Source: nova.bg