In the municipality of Letnitsa, a picture is emerging that is increasingly observed in small Bulgarian municipalities, namely - depopulation, concentrated power and dependencies between local administration, business interests and vote buying. In recent years, the population of the municipality has fallen dramatically. From several thousand residents to under two thousand people actually residing there. The question arises why a region with potential and infrastructure continues to shrink instead of developing.

During an on-site inspection, allegations were presented to Svoboden Glas about the existence of an organised criminal group of individuals who, according to testimonies from residents, act in concert. According to them, the main actor is the local municipal councillor Iliya Hristov, who is alleged to be involved in vote buying. The names of the mayor of the municipality, Krasimir Dzhonev, who has held the position for several terms, and the senior police officer Stefan Dzhonev, whose surname is not a coincidence with that of the mayor, but the result of their family relationship, are linked.

According to citizens, it is this configuration that ensures impunity and a lack of institutional reaction when reporting irregularities.

Analysis of the election results from the last local and parliamentary elections shows a sharp and difficult to explain change in support for parties such as GERB and MRF within a short period. This raises doubts that the vote was not the result of a free political choice, but of controlled voting.

As part of the investigation, testimony was presented by a woman living and working in Letnitsa, who claims to have received money in hand, without a contract and without a bank transfer, from municipal councilor Iliya Hristov.

According to her, a total of 9,000 leva was received, between 14,000 and 15,000 leva were returned in less than a year, despite this, written orders for over 30,000 leva were signed.

Audio recordings were also provided, in which threats, insults and demands for payment can be heard, including towards third parties who are not a party to the obligation to Iliya Hristov.

Once the authenticity of these recordings is confirmed, serious questions about extortion, racketeering and illegal usurious activity will arise. In all the cases described, there is currently no public information about active checks or investigations by the competent authorities. This raises reasonable doubts about an umbrella over local structures, especially given the allegations of family and political dependencies. Fear, the locals say, is used to control the vote, and the political authorities provide themselves with protection.

The collected materials on the cases we encountered in Letnitsa will be provided to media and institutions. When people leave their homes not because of a lack of work, but because of fear, this is no longer just a local problem, but a national one and must have a public response.

The investigation continues!