THE OWNERS OF THE BURNED TOBACCO WAREHOUSES IN PLOVDIV WILL BE FINED

If poor property management is proven in the case with the burned out ‘tobacco town’ warehouses in the Bulgaria’s second largest city of Plovdiv, the Ministry of Culture will impose a fine of 30,000 BGN to the owners. This is the maximum sanction provided for by the law, Bulgaria’s Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov said on 22nd of August. He arrived in Plovdiv to examine the remains of the tobacco warehouses.

According to him, the state will insist that the buildings be restored to their original appearance. He added he would initiate urgent legislative changes aiming at more serious sanctions for destruction of monuments of culture.

More than two days after the devastating fire in the tobacco town warehouses, the Plovdiv mayor Ivan Totev said who the owners were. Three of the warehouses were owned by Ripa Ltd, the so-called Italian owners, he explained. The warehouse that burnt on Saturday is owned by Galaxy Property Group Ltd.

The buildings of the tobacco warehouses were severely damaged in a fire, which burnt for many hours on 20th of August. They are part of a group meant to be protected under Bulgaria’s Cultural Heritage Act.