The Theatre Affair: Plovdiv court begins case involving millions of levs

Beginning of the "Theater Affair" trial

Today, the long-awaited trial for the massive financial fraud that shook cultural institutions in Bulgaria begins at the Plovdiv District Court. The scandal, known as the "Theater Affair," erupted in the autumn of 2024 and revealed a scheme for draining millions from the budgets of the Rhodope Drama Theater in Smolyan and the Theater and Music Center in Razgrad.

The scheme involved fictitious employment contracts with people who received substantial salaries without ever actually stepping foot in their workplace.

Who are the accused?

Eight individuals have been charged in the case, including:

• Rumen Bechev – Director of the Rhodope Theater in Smolyan;
• Levon Manukyan – Director of the Music and Philharmonic Theater in Razgrad;
• The owner of an accounting firm that served to legitimize the criminal cash flows.

The scale of the abuses

According to investigators, the damages are enormous:

• 1.8 million BGN are missing from the budget of the theater in Smolyan;
• Over 1.5 million BGN were misappropriated from the theater in Razgrad.

Four of the defendants have also been charged with participation in an organized crime group (OCG). The case led to serious turmoil within the Ministry of Culture, with a number of officials dismissed from their posts due to the lack of oversight.