The decision was made by prime minister Boyko Borissov and announced by minister of agriculture and food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov at an extraordinary press conference.
NGO representatives will also join the commission in order to ensure full transparency. The results of the check will be presented to the premier and the media, Naydenov said.
The land plot sale commenced back in August 2007 at the order of Nesebar municipality mayor to approve a detailed land use plan. The plot was designated an urbanized territory for build-up. In December 2008, it was taken out of the State Forest Fund. It is not part of the Natura 2000 eco network and is covered with bushes and ground vegetation.
Naydenov dismissed media reports that the plot was sold off far beneath its tax assessment. Papers show there were two different tax assessments, at BGN 11 320 in 2009 when the property purchase request was submitted and at BGN 540 729 as per a second assessment carried out at a later stage at Naydenov’s order.
The purchase price for the land plot was set at BGN 581 212. A further BGN 405 479 was paid to exclude the plot from the State Forest Fund, as well as BGN 11 624 in overheads, BGN 7 530 for compensatory tree planting and BGN 17 436 in local tax and other expenses, taking the total amount to BGN 1 141 849.