Borissov and Fandakova Summoned Over Vitosha Lift Scandal

Boyko Borissov and Yordanka Fandakova have been summoned to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Metropolitan Municipal Council (MMC) on May 23. This session has been called by the "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria-Spasi Sofia" group to address why Sofia currently has no operational lifts to Vitosha. Recently, it was revealed that the Simeonovo cable car near the "Aleko" hut has ceased operations.

Boris Bonev from Spasi Sofia stated at a municipal briefing, "We demand that the privatizers of the municipal company 'Rope Lines' EAD, namely Yordanka Fandakova and Boyko Borissov, come to this meeting and provide their explanations. Borissov was the mayor of Sofia when the municipal lifts were privatized."

Bonev highlighted that the contract for the transaction is only seven pages long and lacks provisions to protect public interest. The sole requirement for the buyer, "Vitosha Ski," is to maintain the company's registered activities, which does not necessarily include operating lifts.

Bonev committed to negotiating with the private company owning the lifts to see how they can be compelled to repair the Simeonovo lift. There is a repair project for the Dragalevski lift pending approval from the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, which oversees the "Vitosha" Nature Park. The Knyazhevo lift has been non-functional for 30 years, and efforts by the Sofia Municipality to restore it have repeatedly been overturned in court, Bonev noted.

The councilors aim to question Borissov and Fandakova to clarify the details of the transaction. In 2007, the Metropolitan Municipal Council sold the municipal "Vajeni Linii" Ltd., which includes the Simeonovo lift, the Knyazhevski and Dragalevski lifts,...