The murder of Slavi Binev raises questions that go beyond the scope of a criminal offense. It is about a conflict between long-standing business partners, complex financial relations, large-scale investment projects and unclear circumstances surrounding the origin and distribution of funds worth hundreds of millions. Is the murder solely an unresolved dispute over money, or can the investigation reveal other dependencies? Here is what else journalist Kiril Borisov told Lili Marinkova in the “FAKTI“ studio and the “Conversation“ show.
- Mr. Borisov, we will talk about the assassination attempt on the famous Slavi Binev - former MEP, businessman and sports figure. In these days, when there is more talk about the elections, much less attention was paid to a case that perhaps deserved and will deserve more attention. In previous times, of course, there was talk of excessive interest in the deceased, because there were cases in which he came into conflict with public attitudes. Now, however, I see that in the framework of your comment you say that he has brightened up his business and has been dealing mostly with honorable things lately. Insofar as this was also a leitmotif of Slavi Binev - that he is busy fighting with the groups and looking for some new beginnings in business, do you think this is realistic?
- He waged war with the groups when he was accused of being one of them. That was a long time ago. The stories about Georgi Iliev's invasion of Binev's disco and his beating are already worn out. After that, there were other such incidents. Then maybe he had no choice and had to be like them in order to survive. But in recent years Slavi Binev is known as the president of the taekwondo federation. He himself was a competitor in this style. His son is also a taekwondo competitor and his entire conscious life has been spent in this sport. He was known primarily for that.
As far as business is concerned, let's not forget his political career. He went through several parties and, of course, was an MEP. He was an MEP twice, an MP, then he was a candidate for MP from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, but he failed to enter in 2017. Since then, he has not been involved in politics.
But as a business man, he was looking for that political party, in my opinion, that would give him the opportunity to include him on the list of an elective position, so that he could effectively participate in politics and have some influence. Either way, that is a long-gone period. In recent years, Slavi Binev has been involved in taekwondo. He also had a business that he managed, but not that big. He sold his big things 15 years ago, before entering politics. In the case of this conflict between Eyup Temiz, or rather his wife, and architect Kalin Tiholov, he was a mediator - as a person who has many contacts and can reconcile and improve relations between people. He received a certain amount, but in any case the problem was not solved.
Therefore, we cannot talk about a contract murder, because it is a matter of an emotional outburst on the part of one of the parties, without hiding, without preparation, without any conspiracy in organizing such a murder. He left with his face, he left with his face, it was clear that they would catch him.
In this sense, we cannot call this a contract murder, nor a symbolic murder. This is a dispute between partners that he should have resolved and did not resolve. In my opinion, the case will end here, unless, of course, it is decided to work in other directions beyond the act itself. Eyup Temiz pulled out a gun and fired it. That's it - his guilt ends there.
The question is how much money was invested in this large construction business that Eyup Temiz's wife had. We are talking about her partnership with Kalin Tiholov - the architect, who is famous. He is a lecturer, a professor, but the two of them have large-scale projects - over 50 projects, gated communities, huge residential and office buildings. Their capitalization may be hundreds of millions.
- 50 gated communities?
- 50 projects. Not all gated communities. They have it in Dolni Lozen, they have it here, next to the Botanical Garden.
- Together with whom?
- Together with Mrs. Temiz. Kalin Tiholov, their colleague from the university, and another businessman. He has a small percentage in this joint venture, but it is about investment intentions. It is about construction with a capitalization of hundreds of millions, I think, in Sofia and Plovdiv. There she had and he also managed a company that dealt with industrial zones. There are two large industrial zones. It will be interesting to check the origin of the funds for these investments, although most of them are with bank loans. The land on which the objects were built is related to the fact that Mrs. Temiz's father is the late former chief architect of Sofia Stoyan Yanev. So, if an investigation goes in different directions, it could take this direction - searching for the origin of the funds and the way they are managed.
- When would they get there?
- That depends on the one leading the investigation. This is the supervising prosecutor. It depends on the data that will be obtained during the investigation into the murder itself, because, I repeat, the fact that Eyub Themis pulled out a gun and killed his close friend of many years, Slavi Binev, is indisputable.
From now on, if they delve deeper into the conflict between the two, perhaps other crimes will result, but this is just a hypothesis.
- And now is it enough that these two witnesses have given testimony? Does it seem clear what development is coming?
- Yes. In the case of the murder of Slavi Binev, there is no longer any mystery. There are two witnesses, there is a detainee, accused of the murder. The gun with which Slavi Binev was killed has been found. There are camera recordings, witness testimonies. Expertise has been ordered that will prove it beyond doubt.
As for the criminal act itself – the murder of Slavi Binev, there is no great mystery, as in the case of Iliyan Filipov in Plovdiv. He was also caught by a close friend, a former partner. The question is what is behind these relations.
- Has it become clear what property the conflict arose over? The texts that we were able to read indicate that a specific property was the cause of the outburst of anger…
- No, it is not clear yet. It is not about one property. There were several. I say again that Mrs. Temiz and Kalin Tiholov were partners in several companies with a complex distribution of capital. Properties were contributed by both of them. So for now, it would not be appropriate to point out a specific property or a specific company that led to their conflict. Perhaps the trial will make it clear. Naturally, when it comes to a trial, this will be clarified 100%. It is not clear whether this is the only basis of the conflict, or whether there are other unresolved financial relations between them. Incidentally, the Prime Minister spoke about such relations in his speech, including, I think, the Minister of the Interior. They are talking about a conflict over money.
- Yes, yes. No matter what anyone says, it is about money...
- Yes, in this case it is also about money. Two people - partners. This is not an isolated case. Many business partners often quarrel, conflicts break out between them. Some of them are insoluble.
The question is that sometimes, if we go back in time, there are many such contract killings that have not been revealed and were ordered by the victims' business partners. While here we cannot talk about an order.
– But we can't talk about domestic murder, can we? In your opinion, how do you qualify it?
– It depends on what we call domestic murder. If two neighbors get drunk at home, in one's house, they argue and one beats the other to death, that's domestic murder, because there's no other motive. The question here is why should we qualify it as domestic murder - because the two know each other, because they're long-time friends?
One is a member of the taekwondo federation in his homeland, in Turkey. Slavi Binev is the chairman of the same federation in our country. Two people who know each other, who are friends, family friends, and so on. One kills the other. In that sense - yes, it's domestic. However, when it comes to the division of a lot of money and some non-financial relationships that are not settled, then we can't talk about domestic murder. But anyway, society has adopted this term. Many people, when they hear the Minister of the Interior say that it was almost a domestic murder, do not believe it. But these are the facts.
He actually said it because it was related to the specific ceremony that he had promised to attend together with the now deceased Slavi Binev. Perhaps there was a slight excusable element in this, unless it is a matter of closeness, which is hinted at in some publications – that Binev has recently had contacts with people from “Progressive Bulgaria“.
If he had contacts – it became clear that he publicly attended the establishment of the initiative committee for the elevation of Iliyana Yotova as president. But what is wrong with a president of a sports federation, who has no pending cases, no charges and has not been in prison, attending such an event? He is not a criminal that anyone should be ashamed of. Especially in recent years, Slavi Binev has not been involved in any scandals.
He simply attended the establishment of an initiative committee, and the Minister of the Interior was going to attend an event organized by this federation. But no one can know when the chairman of this federation will be killed by one of his closest friends.
– The immediate past is reflected in the careers of Kalin Tiholov and the now deceased Stoyan Yanev. The years when there was talk of irregular actions in the expropriation of land in Sofia, right?
– Yes. This is the period until 2005, when Stoyan Yanev was the chief architect. He was under Mayor Stefan Sofianski. He resigned on the first day that Boyko Borisov became mayor of Sofia, and it was accepted immediately. At that time, there were indeed many scandals with the expropriation – numerous publications. I was not a contemporary of the events, but there were indeed such publications. Stefan Yanev himself was a defendant in the case of “Sofia Properties“, but he was acquitted. The others were also acquitted. So we cannot say that there was misappropriation of property by Stoyan Yanev, because this would not be correct from a legal point of view. He did not commit a crime. And Kalin Tiholov is also a respected professor and lecturer. He became famous for the architecture of Dogan's sea palace, which was later taken away from him. He was also the project minister in the “Oresharski“ cabinet. After a public scandal, his candidacy was withdrawn, but he was not involved in any scandals either, because he is not one of the public figures who are used to...
– Let's not forget what he did as a design in the marine areas around the dunes and Strandzha, right?
– Yes. His name is associated with the development plans of two small municipalities there, with many business interests in them and with former members of parliament. But this is in the realm of speculation and hypotheses that you and I cannot prove.
If the investigation into the murder of Slavi Binev establishes any other crimes, then when the institution points them out, we can talk about them. But for me, at this stage, neither Slavi Binev nor Kalin Tiholov can be linked to any crime, because the investigation into the murder is directed solely at Eyub, who is the accused. Regarding the Prime Minister's statement that oligarchic clashes will become more frequent - he made a very ominous prediction that sounds quite scary. He said that they are worried because the flows are not going to them. Can you tell me what this conclusion stems from and what will happen to the businesses that should be inherited? Let's say, as in the Plovdiv case.
– Now for the Prime Minister's remark that the oligarchy is nervous and the money is not reaching it...
– There is some reason, because with the arrival of the new government, the financial flows from the state budget to certain business circles have sharply limited. They have not stopped, but they have sharply limited. This creates tension in them and may eventually lead to some similar incidents. Either way, this government came with the big request to fight the oligarchy. So far, unfortunately, there are not many steps forward. It is true that financial flows have been limited. We already have several such actions, mainly by the Minister of the Interior. The drawing of the schemes with the guardrails and the asphalt. Yesterday, inspections also began on a report by the National Agency for National Security and Defense of Bulgaria for 411 million leva for strengthening landslides. And let's not forget the arrests that were related to mayors of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
– Yes, two mayors of small municipalities, for whom the court will decide today in a second instance whether they will finally remain in custody. They are accused of criminal conspiracy, but these are small steps. I do not know whether they were detained on purpose or by accident before the elections, in order to show a fight against the schemes and the oligarchy. But are the charges clear now, because there were no details about this?
– The charges against the two mayors are clear. They are for criminal conspiracy together with Hristo Shirokov, who was the regional leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
– This is already his second case for public procurement...
– Exactly. Revanski provided the money as chairman of an association of municipalities through two ministries. Then, according to the prosecutor's office, the three decided which companies would be given certain orders and arranged for between 25 and 35% of the contracts to be returned. This is a well-known corruption scheme.
– Has there ever been a case where such a scheme was exposed?
– There have been. There have been many cases when people have been detained, when they have even been accused, but only Desislava Ivancheva, who until recently we saw as a banner of the fight against corruption, has been in prison. There was also a former MP who had committed a crime as mayor back in time. He spent two years in a prison dormitory for one trip, which was paid for by the municipality, but there was no trip. That was obvious.
These are the two cases of such corruption, if we can say that a mayor of a small municipality or a district mayor in Sofia are representatives of the high echelons of power. There are no others.
– These individuals, accused of the criminal conspiracy, were found guilty of carrying out something like... how should I say, fueling Peevski's power with their finances, something like securing his financial reservoirs...
– Well, every party – Dogan had said it at the time - there is a ring of companies. With the limitation of the power of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms in the central executive branch, in the government, they were left with municipalities that are governed by their mayors. It is logical that there would be similar attempts at corruption schemes there, which, however, have not been proven. Of course, this is precisely why, in my opinion, they first targeted the mayors of the MRF. In addition, one of the arrested, Radoslav Revanski, is extremely close to the leader of the movement. He is in Sofia and in parliament most of the time as his associate.
– What is the difficulty in proving these crimes in your opinion?
– In this case, no people were caught with marked money. There are witness statements. If the witnesses hold out until the end, because in many similar cases they waver at one stage of the criminal process and withdraw their testimonies or then give other ones, perhaps it will be proven. But that is very far in the future.
– The Prosecutor's Office is being run unreformed, but within a month the new Supreme Judicial Council is coming...
– Yes. The new Supreme Judicial Council will elect a new Prosecutor General – a titular one, and then there will no longer be an excuse that the fight against the oligarchy is going sluggishly. For now, the excuse is that the Prosecutor's Office does not accept our checks and investigations, does not press charges and does not detain people. When there is a new Supreme Judicial Council and a new Prosecutor General, there will be no such excuse. Then people will be able to make a real assessment – are we fighting the oligarchy, or are we not fighting and taking advantage of it.
See more of the conversation in the VIDEO.