Labai aciu Edvardai. Sia kopija issiunciau Pavlickiui. Jeigu galite, isverskite ja i rusu kalba, Ieva sake jums pades.
Dear draughts friends,
Please, spend a minute reading this story and weigh it yourselves. If you have any suggestions, feel free to e-mail me at
abucinskaite@gmail.com. Or if you have the power to change anything, please do so!
I have recently participated in the European Draughts Championship of Students and U25 in Bulgaria organized in Regatta Hotel, Sunny Beach. Not all participants stayed at the same hotel but the ones who did, have paid in Euros. We have been told we would receive our receipts on the following day but it did not happen.
On the last day of the tournament I have been accused of paying in a fake Euro note of 200. Mr. Bogdan Yanev threatened my father to pay 200 Euros so the hotel would keep quiet about this matter, otherwise I would be arrested and would not return home. I have only had 8 notes of 50 Euros which I told Mr. Bogdan about and showed the receipt from the bank. Later on Mr. Bogdan’s relative who is somehow involved with the management of the hotel talked to me. He said I have been video taped paying in a fake 200 Euro note and I have the last chance to confess or they will take me to the police. I have asked to see the tapes, however I was refused to. I have also asked for his name and address, but he refused to give it to me.
The police station is in Sunny Beach but my father and I got told we have to go all the way to Burgas to the police station No5 for the appointment at 4pm sharp (the same time as the blitz tournament would originally start). On the arrival we were refused the registry of our names and I was seen by the investigator. It was 5 minutes of interrogation which I recorded. Later the investigator left the room, picked up the phone said: ‘nepriznalas’ and hung up. Same word in Russian would mean ‘Did not confess’. Later on there was a translator appointed to me so the statement could be written out. The questions were similar, however when I was asked in what notes I paid the investigator asked to tell me that there is a video tape of me paying in 200 Euro note which he has not seen but his colleagues have done.
I strongly believe that the investigator who I have been seen by is an acquaintance of the hotel management and is corrupt. It is also the law in Bulgaria for the hotels not to take Euros, only Levs which is the currency. The missing receipts for our payments indicate that the hotel are laundering money to make profit from the tournaments organized by avoiding tax to the government.
When I arrived back to the hotel the blitz tournament was carried out as normal. There were zeros written next to my name on the tournament table although I have noted that I would not be participating and clearly stated why. The blitz tournament had to take place on the 30th of Sept, however it was moved to 29th because one of the participants had to leave early. I did not see a problem with it. But when I was accused and brought to the police at the exact time of the tournament there was no effort made from EDC to either postpone the girls tournament or prevent me from going.
Bulgaria is a beautiful country and people seem to be friendly and welcoming. This story is about a particular group of people who organize draughts tournaments to profit. There were not enough participants so no profits were made. Before I went there the hotel was listed as four star hotel on the internet roughly two months ago but two weeks ago it suddenly became a three star hotel. Why??? Should such tournaments be organized at all? My father has a heart problem and after this incident had not slept and had to drive all the way back to Lithuania the next day. If you ever go to Bulgaria I hope your experience is a bit better than mine.
Thank you for your time and effort reading. Please, make your own conclusions and pass it on.
Best wishes,
Agne Bucinskaite