This is said in a press release sent to the media by Delyan Peevski, MP with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and businessman. 

“In the meantime, the ungrounded political pressure and the continuing media campaign against me, which intensified over the past weeks, bears a highly negative effect both on the companies I take part in and on other economic subjects I am connected to, which forces me to give up on further finalisation of the deal on the purchase of the assets of Chimco-Vratza. 

I think it is unacceptable that in an EU member state it is possible to ruin the business, undermine the good name of Bulgarian companies and hamper their activity through pressure and negative campaigns. 

My political opponents and those, who continue defaming me, can be happy now as they achieved their goal – I give up on taking part in Bulgarian business projects in the future so as to protect any possible business partner of mine being ruined after being declared “connected to Peevski”,” the official statement of Mr Peevski says further. 

“I hope that my decision will allow other investors, that are serious enough, to acquire the assets of Chimco-Vratsa and realise an investment programme for company’s recovery, so as to protect the interests of the northwest region – one of the poorest in the country,” the press release writes.

In February, on the other hand, the businessman announced his withdrawal from Bulgartabac tobacco and cigarettes company.

“I withdraw as shareholder in Bulgartabac company.” This what Bulgarian businessman and MP with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party, Delyan Peevski, said in an official statement sent to the media released on February 19, 2016.

FOCUS News Agency published Mr Peevski’s full statement: 

“Over the past weeks attempts to deliberately discredit Bulgartabac company through the use of my name so as to incite false suggestions connected with the activity of the company became very frequent. The purpose of such actions is for the name of Bulgartabac company to be tendentiously involved in political intrigues by my opponents, which I cannot allow. Neither can I allow the negative campaign to affect more than 100,000 tobacco producers, whose living depends on the activity of Bulgartabac to some big extent.

With regard to this, I officially declare that I withdraw as a shareholder in Bulgartabac, as the company which I am a majority owner in sells all its shares.

Bulgartabac is highly important both for the national economy and the tobacco producers in the country and that is why the company should be protected against violation and ill-intentioned actions.”