On Tuesday, August 12, the National Investigation Service of Bulgaria is conducting searches in the offices and apartments of the owners of the company 'Sage Consultants Ltd', which deals in arms trading. Numerous Bulgarian media outlets report this, including BNT, 'PIK', and others.
According to BNT information, the searches concern arms traders who violated international sanctions and sold weapons to Russia. The media emphasizes that the searches are being conducted in accordance with a request for legal assistance from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, which is investigating price inflation in arms supplies to Ukraine.
Company owners and their connections
The company 'Sage Consultants Ltd' is owned by Bulgarian entrepreneurs Gencho Hristov and Hristo Hristov. The latter became quite well-known in Bulgaria when in 2019 he purchased a villa in Beverly Hills (USA) for $34.6 million.
Journalists point out that Hristo Hristov has a weapons manufacturing facility in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, where 500 employees work. The other co-owner of the company, Gencho Hristov, is referred to by Bulgarian publications as a serious investor in the real estate market in Sofia.
'PIK' also raises the question of the Hristov brothers' connections with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.
The news about the searches at the owners of the company that traded arms raises suspicions of violating international sanctions and possible arms sales to Russia. The company owners have diverse connections, including real estate investments and possible ties with political figures.