Just imagine…..you driving along the city center or coasting into a 5-Star hotel lobby and the law pops out of the corner to demand proof of legitimate earnings to own and drive the car.
Do not worry this is not happening in Malaysia, its Bulgaria. If you are driving a Bentley or something similarly swanky in Bulgaria, remember to check your rearview mirror — the prosecution service may well be on your tail.
Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor Monday ordered checks of all 435 luxury Maybach, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari vehicles, cruising the streets of the European Union’s poorest country in recent years in striking contrast to most residents’ far more modest bangers.
Another 245 people who acquired in 2015 and 2016 real estate worth over 250,000 euros (USD310,000) and 120 owners of apartments and houses that cost over 400,000 euros will also come under scrutiny. The majority of the posh property owners came from the capital Sofia, where the average real estate prices are several times lower at under 100,000 euros for a two-bedroom flat. Prosecutors will have up to three months to come out with results of the checks.
Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 and currently holds the rotating EU Council Presidency but still remains the bloc’s poorest member with average monthly salaries barely exceeding 500 euros. The country is also subject to monitoring by the European Commission for its judiciary’s persistent failure to curb corruption and put notorious organised crime bosses behind bars.
