Bulgaria recalls ambassador from UAE over alleged corruption links

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Bulgaria recalls ambassador from UAE over alleged corruption links

September 19, 2026

DUBAI,— Bulgaria pulled its ambassador from the United Arab Emirates on Friday, citing his alleged ties to a corruption case involving private jet trips worth millions of dollars taken by a sanctioned lawmaker, the AFP news agency reported.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev ordered the recall as part of his broader anti-corruption push.

Bulgaria remains one of the lowest-scoring European Union nations on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.

Radev’s administration is investigating opposition lawmaker Delyan Peevski, who critics say wields hidden control over media outlets, courts, and law enforcement agencies in the country.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev announced Friday that investigators discovered a shell company had covered more than five million dollars in private jet costs for Peevski.

That company, owned by the father of UAE ambassador Ivan Yordanov, took in payments from four businesses awarded government contracts to supply and install road guardrails, Demerdzhiev said during a news conference.

Those contracts totaled over 400 million euros and were later raised by an additional 150 million euros.

Peevski, who faces corruption-related sanctions from both the United States and Britain, denied the claims to reporters at parliament, saying he and his family covered his own travel costs.

Radev took office as prime minister after his party, Progressive Bulgaria, secured victory in April’s parliamentary vote, campaigning heavily on rooting out corruption.

(With files from AFP)