Sun, Nov 22 2009

The state tries to recover land awarded to Simeon Saxe-Coburg

Wed, Nov 04 2009 10:57 CET byThe Sofia Echo staff 1059 Views 2 Comments
The state tries to recover land awarded to Simeon Saxe-Coburg

Simeon Saxe-Coburg from his days as leader of the National Movement for Stability and Progress party who was part of the two ruling coalitions who ruled the country in 2001-2009. After the party failed to make it to Parliament at the July 2009 elections Saxe-Coburg resigned from his post as party leader.

Photo: Assen Tonev

Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naidenov will file a court claim at the Sofia Regional Court on behalf of the state asking the court to recover some forestry land awarded to Simeon Saxe-Coburg, the country’s former monarch and former prime minister, news agencies said on November 4 2009.

Naidenov is expected to file the claim at 2pm on November 4.

Saxe-Coburg acquired the forests through the country’s post-communist restitution process, but the state forestry agency said on October 2 2009 that he had been given more than his due and that the state would go to court to recover them.

In 2003, during Saxe-Coburg's term as prime minister, Parliament decided to return the assets of the former royal family, seized by the Communist regime in 1946.

It was later alleged that during the restitution, about 452ha of forests near the town of Samokov were transferred to the former royal family with no legal basis for doing so.

Before the state forestry agency’s announcement in October, critics of Saxe-Coburg had long alleged that forests decreed to him were not lawful.

As The Sofia Echo reported earlier, Saxe-Coburg, in an interview published by Israeli Maariv newspaper on October 5 2009, referred to criticism that his motivation to return to Bulgaria in 2001 to enter politics – in that year, the former exile won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections and became prime minister – was so that he could recoup former crown property.

Comments

Anonymous Irisheyes Wed, Nov 04 2009 23:34 CET
Inappropriate comment?

The Communist (Red Devils from Hell) took the land, and it was onlyright it was given back.

Anonymous Vanko Wed, Nov 04 2009 12:21 CET
Inappropriate comment?

Of course it was to recoup property which he was selling almost before he got off the plane. Who better to pass laws to your own advantage than a pm!! Parliament should never have returned most of the properties and should have proceeded like the Greeks and charged for years of upkeep!! But then who in parliament at the time would have said no to the pm they were all too busy feathering their own nests!!!

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Saxe-Coburg ‘quickly selling off forests’ – media report

Bulgaria’s former monarch Simeon Saxe-Coburg is quickly selling off forests he got under the country’s post-communist restitution process, a newspaper alleges, after the state said it would go to court to get some of the forests back.

Saxe-Coburg hits back in land restitution row

Simeon Saxe-Coburg responds to criticism that he had taken more land than he was supposed to as part of the post-communist property restitution process.

Former PM faces litigation over restituted forests

It was later alleged that during the restitution, about 452ha of forests near the town of Samokov were transferred to the former royal family without any grounds for it.

Bulgaria to reclaim forest from former PM

Buglaria's State Forestry Agency intends to prove notary documents that formed the basis for restitution are invalid.

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