Two months after “Pro Veritas” filed a signal in the Gabrovo Directorate for conflict of interest, there is no answer from the Agency for Social Assistance if they have assigned an inspection and if not – why?
The Director of Social Assistance Directorate in Gabrovo – Radostina Bratovanova is the actual manager of a private center for elderly people in the Gabrovo village of Yavorets. This was established by an investigation of “Pro Veritas”. The center is called home for elderly “Golden Years” and is registered as an activity of the sole-proprietor company “Dara 13”. Its sole owner is the daughter of Bratovanova – Ralitsa, but for the organization of the work, the preparation of the documents for accommodation of elderly people, the delivery of products, medicaments and supplies, actually Radostina Bratovanova herself is dealing with, as the check performed revealed.
Talk to Bratovanova
In order to make it clear to what extent Radostina Bratovanova is tied to the activity of the private center for the elderly “Golden Years”, we called to her office phone. The reason – to get information about the opportunities an elderly woman suffering from a serious illness to be accomodated in the “Golden Years” center. The employee, answering the phone call, immediately advised that the best option was a personal conversation with Radostina Bratovanova. At the moment she was absent and we were given her personal mobile phone number without any problems. This helpful readiness probably means that the employee is instructed to do so in all such calls. Still, we ask her whether it is convenient to bother Branatanova after being out of the directorate? The courtesy response was that if she could not speak at the moment she would necessarily return a call later.
The chance turned out to be on our side – we connected right away. After giving her basic information about the condition of the woman to be accommodated in the village of Yavorets, Bratovanova immediately explains that with this diagnosis “it will be a bit difficult because continuous observation is required”. She then asked about the age and the possible peculiarities in the behavior of the woman to be admitted to the home for elderly people. It also becomes clear from the conversation that the fee for the services provided there is BGN 950 per month. Diapers, medicaments and other supplies were provided additionally by the relatives of the elderly people. But another option is available – the home was in contact with a merchant who delivers the supplies with a good discount. We should not worry about the food either, all products are environmentally friendly. Bratovanova had a house in the immediate vicinity of the social home. In the yard of the house animals are bred, vegetables and fruits are grown and the kitchen of the elderly center worked with them.
It is possible at home
According to the information we receive in the same conversation, the amount of 950 BGN per month included 24/7 full care. When asked what documents are needed for the admittance and accommodation and where they should be submitted to, the civil servant replies that she is currently on a sick leave but she could prepare the documentation also at her home after she is been provided with the necessary personal data, TEMC decisions and epicrisses. So the suspicion that when she is not on a sick leave, Bratovanova does all this at her workplace, gets all the reasons.
We end the conversation with the stipulation that the amount of BGN 950 per month should be discussed with other relatives. We agree to hear again when we are ready with our final decision.
After the long dialogue, there is no doubt that Radostina Bratovanova, not her daughter or any other employee, is the person who does the operative work for accommodation in the “Golden Years”. When we go to center, the conversation with one of the employees there confirms our assumptions. She also advises us for all the details of the accommodation to talk personally with the Director of the Social Assistance Directorate in Gabrovo.
A “personal cause”
According to the information published on the website of the “Golden Years” Center, it is an activity of the sole-proprietor company “Dara 13”. And the content of the heading “About Us” specifies that “the company was founded in Sofia in 2015 by a volunteer engaged in charity. The idea of creating a private company dedicated to caring for the elderly is a personal cause”, it is written there.
What is the cause is not clear – the fee of 950 leva per month for everyone in the home clearly indicates that it is a commercial activity. Checking on the sites of other private homes for elderly people shows that the cost of the services they offer ranges from 400 to 700 leva per month. This makes “Golden Years” one of the most expensive in the country. According to the relatives of the people accommodated there, the cost of caring for their relatives was justified by the high quality. However, the contradiction between personal cause and high fee remains. But there are others.
Many companies, many partners
A reference in the Commercial Register shows that the story of “Dara 13” starts yet in February 2009. Then, a limited liability company “IPM Energy” was established with owners Peter Markovsky and his son Ivailo. Two weeks after the company was registered, the two owners transferred their shares to the companies “Intercommunication” and “IM Energy”. The sole owner of the former is Silvia Avramova. It is registered in Vratsa and has been declared insolvent twice.
The second partner of “IPM Energy” – “IE Energy”, is registered in February 2009 again by Peter and Ivaylo Markovski, but during the years the associates changed, as Markovski’s once left the company and then re-entered it as co-owners.
On July 3, 2014, at the General Assembly of “IPM Energy” Ivaylo Markovski transferred to Ralitsa Bratovanova his shares in the amount of BGN 2,400. The same is done by “Intercommunication”. In this case, the transferred shares amounted to BGN 2,600. At the same meeting a decision was made for a curious change in the subject of activity of the company. From then on, instead of “energy-saving energy sources”, the company starts to deal with “social activities”. The meeting also decided to change the name of the company to “Dara 13” and adopted a completely new constituent act.
Almost a year later, on May 15, 2015, in the Social Assistance Agency’s social services registrer, the permits issued in the name of “Dara 13” were listed. They provided the legal basis for the company to open in August 2015 an elderly home in the village of Yavorets.
“The necessary investigation“
Currently, Ralitsa Bratovanova works in an Agency for luxury real estates which isn’t preventing her from running the center in the village of Yavorets, she told “Pro Veritas”. In the same phone conversation she explained that half of her time she spends on controlling the activity at the “Golden Years” home through a video surveillance system. Another part of the inspections she carries out on spot.
Ralitsa Bratovanova categorically denied that her mother has anything to do with the work of the home. “The common point between us is that she has grown me up to care for the elderly and to help children in need,” she said. “Something I’ve always done, yet as a student in England.” She advised us to seek information about her charitable work. “We have done the necessary research, there is no conflict of interests,” added Ralitza Bratovanova.
For the invisible and the obvious
Whether the director of the Social Assistance Directorate in Gabrovo is in a conflict of interest after having personally directed patients to her daughter’s home should be clarified by the Agency for Social Assistance. Radostina Bratovanova has not declared such a circumstance.
There is no conflict, according also to Neli Barakova, director of the Regional Directorate for Social Assistance in Gabrovo, who is the direct manager of Bratovanova. The same opinion is shared by the legal adviser of the directorate. However, yet on December 1-st last year, “Pro Veritas” sent a signal to Barakova, by which she was informed about the duplication of activities that Radostina Bratovanova performs as Director of the Social Assistance Directorate and the services provided at the center in Yavorets village.
In our signal, we pointed out explicitly that one of the activities is “mediation in contacts with different institutions”, among them being the “Social Assistance” Directorate in Gabrovo. Another of these conflicting activities is formulated as “assistance for supply of aids” (diapers, hygiene materials, medications, etc.)
The Center for elderly people “Golden Years” in the village of Yavorets
Photo: Emiliya Dimitrova
Unanswered Questions
On January 31-st this year, Neli Barakova replied that she had forwarded our alert to the Social Assistance Agency and, if ‘they deemed it necessary’, they will assign a check. Information about such an intention has not been received so far. We expect also the opinion of the Commission on the Establishment and Prevention of Conflict of Interests, to which we have also sent some specific questions. Until the work on this text was completed, no response was received.
According to a decision of the Commission on the Establishment and Prevention of Conflict of Interests, conflict of interest is present if there are three prerequisites: “a person occupying a public position, presence of his, or of his affiliates, private interest and the possibility of the private interest to influence the objective and impartial performance of his duties in service”.
In the specific case with the center in the village of Yavorets, at least two of the prerequisites for a conflict exist “a person occupying public position (Radostina Bratovanova) and a private interest of a related person (her daughter Ralitsa). In addition, there is a real “possibility to influence the objective performance of official duties” in the cited decision of the Director of the Social Assistance Directorate in Gabrovo.
“Any interest that leads to profit …”
Whatever they will undertake from the Social Assistance Agency, it can hardly be denied that Radostina Bratovanova has a private interest in the “Golden Age” Home in the village of Yavorets. And the Law on the Establishment and Prevention of Conflict of Interest defines the private interest as “any interest that results in a material or immaterial benefit to a person occupying a public position or to persons related to him, including any commitment taken”.
The Missing Case “Chrysanthemum”
While investigating the case of the elderly home in the village of Yavorets, in Gabrovo the scandal with violence against children broke out in the social center “Chrysanthemum”. In her position as an official, Radostina Bratovanova bears direct responsibility for the lack of control over the work at that centre. The “Social Assistance” Directorates in the country are the bodies charged with the protection of children in situ. It is also their duty to monitor the care that is being taken in institutions for the accommodation of children with disabilities. It is again their responsibility to undertake timely and adequate measures when signals are submitted or violations are detected. Obviously, in the case of the mistreated children in the “Chrysanthemum” center, Radostina Bratovanova has not fulfilled any of these obligations. Probably because she was busy.
* The author of the text – Emiliya Dimitrova – Dankova is the winner of the “Golden Key” award of “Access to Information Program” Foundation for 2018.
