Key Witness in the Investigation Against Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev Deletes Facebook Post on Withdrawing Testimony

The main witness in the investigation against the Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev – Dian Ivanov – has removed from his Facebook profile the post in which he stated that he had withdrawn his testimony before the Anti-Corruption Commission. On Wednesday, in a psot on Facebook, he wrote that he had submitted a declaration to the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, also posting a photo of the document bearing its official entry number.

• Former Deputy Mayor of Varna, Dian Ivanov, Withdrew His Testimony against Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev

In the declaration, Ivanov claimed that his testimony had been given under pressure from officials of the Anti-Corruption Commission and that it was inaccurate. A source confirmed that such a declaration had indeed been submitted to the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office. Three days later, the former Deputy Mayor deleted the Facebook post.

Dian Ivanov is a schoolmate, friend, and longtime family lawyer of Blagomir Kotsev. He was one of the Deputy Mayors of Varna Municipality and was considered the mayor’s right-hand man. His portfolio included several key departments of Varna Municipality: European and National Operational Programmes, Control and Sanctions, Legal and Regulatory Services, Municipal Property, Economy, and Business Activities, as well as the Municipal Enterprise for Investment Policy.

On 5 May this year, Ivanov announced at a press briefing that he was resigning for personal and health-related reasons. At the time, both Ivanov and Kotsev publicly exchanged thanks and denied that their parting was due to professional disagreements.

Following the arrest of Mayor Blagomir Kotsev on 8 July, Dian Ivanov has not responded to phone calls or messages sent to him. This has sparked public speculation and the question: Where is Dian Ivanov?