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| - The United States blacklisted six Bulgarians including an influential gambling tycoon Wednesday for their "extensive" roles in corruption, in a rare action by Washington against a member of the European Union. The US Treasury named businessman Vasil Kroumov Bozhkov, former parliamentarian Delyan Slavchev Peevski and government official Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov, to its sanctions list, which freezes any assets they have under US jurisdiction, and bans Americans, including individuals and companies, from doing business with them. The Treasury also placed 64 companies and entities tied to the three men on the blacklist. Meanwhile the State Department officially designated Peevski, Zhelyazkov, and former officials Alexander Manolev, Petar Haralampiev, Krasimir Tomov, as well as their immediate families, for "significant corruption," a step that blocks them from visiting the United States. As government officials they "were involved in corrupt acts that undermined the rule of law and the Bulgarian public's faith in their government's democratic institutions and public processes, including by using their political influence and official power for personal benefit," said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price. Bulgarian Prime Minister Stefan Yanev spoke by telephone Wednesday to US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, who informed him of the sanctions, a Bulgarian government spokesperson said. The sanctions by the Treasury, which it said was its biggest single action targeting graft to date, is in line with the Magnitsky act, a law under which Washington punishes foreign government officials implicated in corruption or human rights abuses. The act is named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in pre-trial detention in 2009 amid allegations of mistreatment in a Russian prison. "This designation under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program shows that we are committed to combatting corruption wherever it may be," Office of Foreign Assets Control director Andrea Gacki said in a Treasury statement. The statement underlined Washington's commitment to aiding partner states in "tackling systemic corruption and holding corrupt officials accountable" as well as pursuing financial transparency and accountability. Bozhkov, one of the country's wealthiest and most powerful men, has been charged in Bulgaria with leading an organized crime group, coercion, attempted bribery and tax evasion. He fled the country for the United Arab Emirates just before indictments against him were unveiled in early 2020. He was arrested but has successfully avoided extradition and remains in Dubai, according to the Treasury. Earlier this year Bozhkov tried to bribe two Bulgarian figures to help him "create a channel for Russian political leaders to influence Bulgarian government officials," the Treasury said. pmh/st/cdw/dl
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