Protection Service official and step son of ex-minister involved in murder plot

Long-term employee of the Bulgarian National Service for Protection is alleged to be the organiser of the murder of a business woman (Stanka Marangozova), who was shot dead in her car in October 2019, the Prosecutor’s office said on May 21. According to BNT sources, the person who is alleged to have ordered the murder is the step son of former Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Emiliya Maslarova.

The person who ordered the murder paid BGN 50,000 in advance.

Siika Mileva, spokesperson for the Chief Prosecutor explained that in order to study the habits and routes of the victim, the car of the business woman was fitted with a GPS tracker, with which she was tracked in real time.

On the day of the murder, the victim was followed by the physical perpetrator on a motorbike. In order to cover the hand-gun with the silencer, he was also carrying a bouquet of artificial white roses..

After the murder, the physical perpetrator fled along a pre-planned route and abandoned the motorbike near a pond near Chepintsi. Investigators said that the motive for the murder was unsettled financial relations. The victim was engaged in a kind of financial pyramid - under the pretext that she traded on various stock exchanges with shares of companies and thus provided profits to people who entrusted their money to her.

The relationship between her and her "clients" has been long and it is very difficult to make an accurate financial assessment of the damages to the different clients, the investigation added. There is a large number of civil lawsuits against her, under which she paid compensation to the claimants. Specifically in the case with the person who ordered her murder, the amounts were exceptionally high.

Ivo Maslarov, who is alleged to have ordered the murder and is wanted by the police, left the country almost 2 months ago. He is a step son of the former labour and social policy Minister, Emiliya Maslarova, who said she did not have good relation with him . She explained she has never lived with her step son. “This is my husband's son from his first marriage. We are not in good relations with the son. He did not have good relation with his father too. I have not seen him for more than 4 years. He did not even come to his father’s funeral,” she added.

Searches also found drugs, ammunition, tracking and eavesdropping devices. The criminal group behind the murder was set up for contract killings, drug trafficking, violence, coercion and extortion. The manager is an active long-term employee of the National Service for Protection, who was responsible for the security of mass events and individuals. He also has special skills related to explosives.

The spokesperson of the Chief Prosecutor said that the assigned technical assessment of the seized mobile phone of the NSP employee established that he had active communication with current magistrates, lawyers, former ministers, civil servants, who were in high positions, probably members of one and the same Masonic lodge.

The NSP employee also played a logistical role in the group - distributing the tasks. The physical perpetrator has a criminal history. In 2017, he was charged with kidnapping and rape. The case is currently in court.

The NSP sent an official position to the media, stating that the service will provide full cooperation to the investigating authorities. The NSP management says it expects to be provided with information on the case in order to take all lawful actions against the accused employee.