Building firm Vera Stroy EOOD has contracts with both municipalities whose mayors were detained, Belitsa and Sungurlare. Public procurement data shows this.

Belitsa mayor Radoslav Revanski and Sungurlare mayor Dimitar Gavazov, an engineer, were detained on 20 and 21 October in raids by the organised crime unit GDBOP and the State Agency for National Security (DANS). The Interior Ministry press office says the two men and a third person are charged with taking part in a criminal conspiracy to trade in influence.

How it began: Mayors of Sungurlare and Belitsa charged with trading in influence

The Interior Ministry and prosecutors say public money was drained through the firm, which was run by a front man for the Revanski family.

Public data shows 99 contracts for Vera Stroy worth more than €67.6m. But the procurement databases differ on the number of contracts and their value.

The firm's sole owner and manager is Velin Hariev Velev, who has ties to the village of Zmeitsa in Dospat municipality. He previously headed a department at the State Fund Agriculture, which handles rural development schemes.

In Belitsa, the firm has won 15 contracts. One, dated 16 January 2026, is worth €1,245,170 and covers work on the bed of the Babyashka river near Gorno Krayshte. Another, dated 13 March, is worth €4,217,621 and covers rebuilding and widening the road from Belitsa to the Andrianov Chark area. Together the two projects come to almost €5.5m.

In Sungurlare, the firm has won 4 contracts. Two of them, for rebuilding and repairing streets, total €1,346,827, or about €1.34m (2.63m leva). Years ago the firm also worked there on water supply projects.

Local people in Sungurlare say a lot of work was done under the four contracts. But they say that without an expert assessment it is hard to tell whether there was any abuse.

Six other municipalities also have contracts with Vera Stroy: Velingrad, with mayor Kostadin Koev. Yakoruda, with mayor Mehmed Vaklov. Borino, with mayor Mustafa Karaahmed. Garmen, with mayor Feim Isa. Dospat, with mayor Elin Radev. And Sarnitsa, with mayor Nebi Bozov. There is no information on any legal action against these mayors.

A court in Burgas is ruling today on pre-trial restrictions for Revanski and Gavazov, and the evidence is expected to become clear. Supporters and friends of the two men gathered outside the Law Courts. They say the arrests are a political move against the most successful DPS mayors.