Bulgaria PM Hits Back at Socialists over Somali Pirate Ransom

Borisov said that BSP had made a big mistake. “Stanishev knows that I am careful with classified information, so I will not say what he has done and will leave it on his conscience,” he added. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has made it clear that former PM and BSP leader Sergey Stanishev ordered a ransom to be paid for the release of 16 Bulgarian sailors who were kidnapped by Somali pirates last April.

Borisov hit back at Bulgarian Socialist Party MPs who yesterday slammed him for paying part of an alleged USD 2 M ransom for the release of 16 Bulgarian sailors aboard the Malaspina Castle ship in the Gulf of Aden. He strongly suggested that his GERB government had been forced to pay the ransom that Stanishev had ordered.

Borisov said that BSP had made a big mistake. “Stanishev knows that I am careful with classified information, so I will not say what he has done and will leave it on his conscience,” he added.

Regarding BSP MP Kiril Dobrev’s comments suggesting that Bulgaria’s EU Commissioner designate Rumiana Jeleva should be sent to Somalia to deal with the hunger there and the pirates Borisov concluded; “These people don’t know what their leaders have done and this allows them to talk like that.”

Meanwhile, pirate experts have announced that the negotiations for the release of the Bulgarian sailors currently held in Somalia may continue for up to 3 months. Last week two UK-flagged ships – the St. James Park and Asian Glory – were hijacked by Somali pirates with a total of 13 Bulgarian sailors on board.

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