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 convicted drug trafficker best know for financing and overseeing a large scale cocaine smuggling operation from Latin America into Europe.

Since 2007, Brendo has been a target of criminal charges against him, public defamation, and imprisonment in Bulgaria. The controversy centered on the legal web in four countries, in which Banev is caught, ranges from speculations for a grand political set-up to speculations for clearing and rearranging of illegal contraband channels. In July 2014, the Sofia Court of Appeal acquitted Banev of all charges against him (including, money laundering) and overturned a seven-and-a-half year sentence issued previously by the Sofia City Court.

Early years and education

File:BANEV wrestling.jpg

Brendo wrestling, 1985

Evelin Banev “Brendo” was born Evelin Nikolov Banev on 8 October 1964 in Burgas, Bulgaria. He spends his childhood and early teen years in the city of Topolovgrad, where he lives with his mother.

In Topolovgrad, at the age of 9, Brendo begins practicing wrestling. In 1982, he completes his secondary education in Topolovgrad. Between 1982 and 1984, Banev serves his mandatory military term in the city of Yambol.

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

After the end of his sports career, Banev studies at a Ukrainian institute of economics.

Entrepreneurship

After the political changes in 1989, Brendo spends most of his time outside of Bulgaria. By skillfully using his overseas contacts and positions, Banev accumulates hundreds of millions of dollars during the Dot-com bubble.

Supposedly, Brendo is the mastermind of large speculative deals on the stock markets as well as with various international funds. For example:

• He is a silent shareholder in GeoCities, the Internet company that was acquired by Yahoo! in 1999 for $3.57 billion

• Interesting and mystical is Banev’s participation in the mass purchase and resale of shares of the Swiss Think Tools AG in 2000 (the original share price of CHF270 reached CHF1050 only in the first day of trading).

Meanwhile, Brendo is also an active figure in speculative deals in Bulgaria. His notorious partnership with Ivan Todorov “The Doctor” is one reason why Brendo is associated with the Bulgarian underground. Banev registers a joint company with The Doctor in 1998, East Finances Ltd, and leaves it a year later. Allegedly, Brendo and The Doctor are behind the mysterious disappearance of nearly 6000 master boxes of cigarettes and 2 trucks with coffee from a warehouse in Kazichene (stock worth approximately $4.5million).

Since about 2000, Banev has systematically been building his empire of successful businesses in Bulgaria.

Banev is connected to the leasing company "Private Finance Union" AD (PFU AD) and a number of companies in the construction and real estate sectors.

Public image

Brendo, 2008

Brendo’s name is often linked to Bulgarian organized crime, drug trafficking and money laundering. Nevertheless, Evelin Banev can rarely be seen with bodyguards. He is usually alone or with friends and does not flaunt money or status. People who know him regard him as extremely smart, cautious, and considerate; his associates insist he has never been a part of the Bulgarian organized groups VIS and SIC.

Banev is not a public figure and avoids the media. But in October 2008 he has an unprecedented appearance as a guest of Georgi Koritarov in the popular morning show on NOVA TV "Hello Bulgaria”. On air, Banev says 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 initiate a massive defamation campaign against Banev about a month before the report is 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 is 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.

To save face, 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, commentates before the Bulgarian media, that Banev does not have a travel ban and is free to travel outside of Bulgaria; additionally, Banev has always made all of his court appearances and has been extremely cooperative in the long ongoing trial.

Kidnapping of 10-year-old Daughter

At ca. 7:30 AM on March 5, 2013, upon leaving her home in Sofia, Bulgaria, three masked men shot twice in the back the unarmed driver of Banev's daughter, Lara, and kidnapped the 10 year old girl. This is the first kidnapping ever of such a young child in Bulgaria, and the first kidnapping in Bulgaria since 2009. The motives behind the brutal, violent, and unprecedented kidnapping were a cause for many speculations. A clear undertone of most speculations, confirmed by the country Chief Prosecutor, Sotir Tsatsarov, 3 days after the kidnapping was that "The kidnapping of Lara is a message to Brendo" - the Chief Prosecutor was very careful in a televised press conference not to detail who is sending the 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 around 22 o'clock. It was reported, but unconfirmed, that kidnappers originally asked for 10m euro, but have agreed to free her for 530,000 euro.

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.

External links

• Ministry of Interior Exaggerating in Brendo's arrest
• Ministry of Interior Searching For Brendo, Who is Not Hiding
• Tzvetanov Does Not Know That There is A Trial Against Brendo in Bulgaria
• vsekiden.com
• dartsnews.bg
• news.ibox.bg
• bgtribuna.com
• legalworld.bg
• vsekiden.com
• legalworld.bg
• trud.bg
• svejo.net
• razkritia.com