Evelin Banev

Evelin Banev
Banev at a public appearance in 2011
Born	Evelin Nikolov Banev (1964-10-08) October 8, 1964 Burgas, Bulgaria
Other names	Brendo
Occupation(s)	Businessman, Author

Evelin Banev (Bulgarian: Евелин Банев; October 8, 1964), also known by his nickname Brendo (Bulgarian: Брендо), is a businessman, entrepreneur, and a published author who is under investigation for criminal activities. Banev accumulated his initial capital through a number of successful transactions on the international stock markets during the Dot-Com Bubble. After 2001, he shifted to the Bulgarian financial and real estate markets. In 2015, Banev published his first book, "I Behold The Soul of Bulgaria", which he wrote during his time in prison. In July 2014, the Sofia Court of Appeal acquitted Banev of all criminal charges against him and overturned a 7+1⁄2-year sentence issued previously by the Sofia City Court.

Early life and education

File:BANEV wrestling.jpg

Brendo wrestling, 1985

Banev was born in Burgas, Bulgaria. In Topolovgrad, at the age of 9, Brendo started taking wrestling lessons. In 1982, he completed his secondary education and was conscripted to the army. He served in Yambol.

Since 1985, when he enrolled to the National Sports Academy, Brendo has lived in Sofia. During his time at the Academy, Banev frequently travelled to international camps, tournaments and wrestling competitions representing his club "Academic - Sofia" and the Bulgarian National Wrestling Team. Banev has been awarded the "Master of Sport" title in Bulgaria and wrestled in the 74 kg category, under the instruction of legendary Dimitar Dobrev.

Entrepreneurship

After the political changes in 1989, Brendo spends most of his time outside of Bulgaria. During that time, Banev accumulates hundreds of millions of dollars during the Dot-com bubble.

Meanwhile, Brendo is also an active figure in speculative deals in Bulgaria. Banev registers a joint company with Ivan Todorov in 1998, East Finances Ltd, and leaves it a year later.

Public image

Brendo, 2008

Banev said that he was invited in writing to a meeting with the Interior Minister, Rumen Petkov, who requested Brendo’s assistance – i.e. to falsely testify against “the Margin” brothers. According to Brendo, his refusal to cooperate with the Minister is the main reason behind the 2007 charges for money laundering against him.

Lawsuits

Banev, 2011

In April 2007, the Sofia City Prosecutor raises charges against Banev for organizing a criminal group and money laundering. Subsequently, Banev is arrested and released on bail.

Brendo’s case causes a media stir once again in 2008 when Switzerland agreed to lift its bank secrecy and to submit bank documentation to the Bulgarian authorities. Later, it was made public, that in its requests for judicial assistance to Switzerland, the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office has sent false information – i.e. stating that Banev is accused of drug trafficking and distribution rather than of money laundering.

In September 2009, Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov explains that the case against Brendo still can not start due to procedural violations on behalf of the prosecution. Later, in April 2010, Sofia City Court (SCC) lifts the travel restriction against Banev - according to the court, the prosecution has abused its authority. The judge's ruling also states that the prosecution "does not work towards the discovery of the objective truth, but burdens with expenses and bureaucracy the legal process".

As of May 2012, Brendo’s case is still dragging on with court hearings being postponed at the request of the prosecution. In relation to the case, various Bulgarian media and EU commission reports comment on the groundless accusations and the abuse of power by the prosecution. At the same time, the Bulgarian authorities initiate operation "Cocaine Kings" with an overwhelming media coverage, including a press conference with the Italian authorities. During the operation, some 30 people are arrested, while Banev is accused of financing drug trafficking between South America and Europe, and Italy claims responsibility for criminally charging him. Following operation "Cocaine Kings", Italy requests a temporary extradition of Banev, which he and his legal team fight. However, the Bulgarian Court of Appeals confirmed Banev's the 1-year extradition to Italy on July 17, 2012, with the condition that he will be returned to Bulgaria when needed for his money laundering trial. The extradition hearing was not without controversy, as the court denied Banev's right to appoint a new defense attorney and rejected the request of the publicly appointed attorney for more time to familiarize herself with the case. Banev was extradited to Italy on July 26, 2012.

In February 2013, Sofia City Court sentenced Banev to 7 1/2 years in prison, while acquitting the other 3 people accused with him. Banev’s lawyer, Ina Lulcheva, said that the appeal against the finding of the Sofia City Court would be based on a lack of evidence justifying the conviction. That the group had travelled together made them at most a tour group, not an organised crime group, she said. The defense further stated:

"I will not comment on the length of the sentence. The defense pleaded that there is no crime, as such the punishment is not significant. In this case, it is indicative that it was established that there is money laundered from a person, who has never even been questioned or interrogated. We have not asked that he is questioned, because there are is no evidence that he has any connections with the defendants; the prosecution did not want his questioning, because in my opinion, they knew that their accusation would not be confirmed. As such, the court accepted that money is laundered from the activity of a person and his group, without even questioning this person".

After a 4-month trial, in July 2013, the Milan City Court sentenced Banev to 20 years in prison for participating in a criminal organization for international drug trafficking. Banev's defense attorney stated that, "Banev has not even entered Italy" and that there is not one evidence linking him to the charges. Before the court, his attorney pointed out that all of the Milan prosecutor evidence was coming from Bulgaria, not from Italy - in Italy, Banev was never under surveillance, wiretapped, followed, or investigated. The Italian judge who sentenced Banev, stated in an interview with a prominent Bulgarian newspaper that he highly recommends that Banev appeals the sentencing because "until now not a single evidence of Banev's guilt has been deposited; Banev has never been caught in the act of crime, and he was sentenced only by the testimonies (which were presumed truthful) of other defendants".

Following the trial Brendo was extradited to Bulgaria, where in July 2014, the Sofia Court of Appeal ruled him "not guilty" of money laundering and released him on probation.

Targeted Defamation

In May 2012, Bulgaria's prosecution and judicial system is weaker than ever. The spectacles of their incompetency leads to the disappearance of the so-called "Galev brothers" after they are sentenced to approximately 5-year prison terms. Sulmultaneously, the country is under a lot of pressure by the European Commission (EC) and is expected to score very low on its annual report on justice and the judicial system. Interior Minister Tzvetan Tzvetanov said that the "disappearance of the Galevs will reflect negatively in the July report of the EC".

To compensate for all its gaffes, the Bulgarian authorities initiated a massive defamation campaign against Banev about a month before the report was due. The Bulgarian Interior Minister and Vice Prime Minister, Tzvetan Tzvetanov, appears on multiple national TV channels in early May 2012, announcing that there is an undergoing operation dubbed "Cocaine Kings", he further details that arrests of "emblematic figures of the organized crime" are to occur within days. A few days later, Banev was arrested and initially detained for 24 hours on "suspicion that he might commit a crime". Thereafter, Minister Tzvetanov gives prolonged interviews explaining that Brendo was arrested because of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Switzerland. He further states, "The investigation in Switzerland is over and Brendo has charges pressed against him for trafficking around 10 tons of cocaine from South America to Europe. There are also charges over money laundering; bank accounts for millions of euro have been blocked in Switzerland”.

A few hours later, the prosecution abruptly and decisively denies all that has been stated by the Minister and the police forces. The country prosecutor General Nikolay Kokinov confirms that there is no international Interpol Notice for Banev, that there are no cocaine trafficking charges in Switzerland, that there is no such investigation in Switzerland, and that there is no evidence that Banev has committed any crime.

In response, the prosecution states that it has received tips that Banev might be preparing to flee Bulgaria and thus obscure justice in his currently ongoing money laundering trial.

Banev's legal team, however, told the Bulgarian media that Banev does not have a travel ban and is free to travel outside of Bulgaria. The team also notes that Banev has always made all of his court appearances and has been cooperative in the long ongoing trial.

Kidnapping of Banev's daughter

Banev's ten-year-old daughter Lara was kidnapped by three masked men at about 7:30 am on March 5, 2013, while leaving her home in Sofia. The men shot her unarmed driver twice in the back. It was the first kidnapping in Bulgaria since 2009. The motives behind the kidnapping were the cause for much speculation. In a televised press conference three days later, Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov stated that, "The kidnapping of Lara is a message to Brendo".

This leads to the other suspicion - the key politicians of Boyko Borisov's cabinet in resignation - Prime Minister Borisov himself, Minister of Interior Tzvetan Tzvetanov, and the Chief of the Chief Directorate "Combating Organized Crime", Stanimir Florov. As stated by Aleksey Petrov, "If Brendo talks about Borisov, Tzvetanov, and Florov, it will be frightening". The media states that the failing GERB party, via its two main figures, Borisov and Tzvetanov, is trying to keep the power and to win the elections at any cost - using a brutal kidnapping as a sign that "without them organized crime is coming back" while sending a signal to Banev to keep quiet. This message was clearly given by Tzvetanov himself during a TV interview in which he avoided the question "Where is Lara?" several times and finally answered, "What happened is unpleasant, but let's not forget who her father is".

Lara Baneva was released, physically unharmed, on April 21, 2013; she was left in front of a police station in Sofia at approximately 10:00 pm. It was reported, but unconfirmed, that the kidnappers had originally demanded a €10 million ransom, but later agreed to free her in exchange of €530,000.

Published Books

In March 2015, Evelin Banev published a novel titled "I behold the soul of Bulgaria" (Bulgarian: Съзирам Душата на България), which he wrote while in prison. The spiritual novel is about the journey to self-discovery and realization as passed on by the main character, Max, after a 20-year imprisonment, to his daughter Anna. Banev is also the artist of the book cover - an illustration of two mandalas.