The Black Book of Bulgarian Corruption

The main task of this book is to collect and systematize the data on significant corruption affairs in modern Bulgaria (1879 - 2000). These are partially treated in different studies on Bulgarian economic and political history but still, expect a consistent and purposeful description. Within the framework of the main goal, a few additional tasks have been identified. Their implementation will try to compensate some needs in the process of exploring the corruption phenomenon:

 1) To set out the traits of the corruption deals, that distinguish them among various forms of abuse of power.
 2) To define typical subjects of corruption affairs, that appear repetitively in the observed period.
 3) To establish if possible a rational relation between the subjects of different corruption deals (e.g. big external loans and secret clauses for arms supply, grain and oil affairs and scandals in the railway sector).

The “Black Book”, dissects cases in which the Bulgarian state wasted money by purchasing items for far too much money, by investing into projects which are unnecessary or e.g. by paying for construction work which was not done properly. Cases in which taxpayer’s money oozed away in dark channels, meaning corruption cases, are included in the publication too.

The “Black Book” compiles 15 examples for the waste of public money from different regions, which were researched intensively. In a new category, they added an “extended leading case”, which, in this year’s case, is about the Bulgarian Railways.