General Defends Bulgaria's Ex Defense Minister in Court

Crime | October 7, 2010, Thursday // 16:27|  views

Former Defense Minister, Nikolay Tsonev, has been backed up by General Zlatan Stoykov for the purchase of an US assembly line for the construction of hangars. Photo by BGNES

Former Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army, General Zlatan Stoykov, has testified in favor of former Defense Minister, Nikolay Tsonev, who is facing charges over a public procurement tender.

In this particular trial, the ex minister who is also charged with bribing an investigator in a separate case, is tried because in the period February 12 – June 1, 2009, as a defense minister, he allegedly abused his power by allowing Stoykov to purchase the purchase of an US assembly line for the construction of hangars, warehouses, army barracks, and for the supply and storage of food.

According to the Sofia City Prosecutor, Tsonev committed abuse of power as Defense Minister and concluded the deal with the goal to provide benefits for the company "MIC INDUSTRIES" and its representative, leading to material damage for the institution in the amount of nearly BGN 13 M. The non-material damage involves disturbing the schedule for army training.

Gen. Stoykov told the Sofia City Court on Thursday that the assembly line was supposed to help the Bulgarian Army reconstruct some of its facilities that were built back in the 1950s and 1960s.

Stoykov also state that when Bulgarian soldiers come back from missions abroad, they need to be accommodated in conditions that are in compliance with the European standards and the NATO requirements.

In his words, the standard could have been reached with the military equipment in question. He confirmed that the money for the purchase had come from the budget of the Bulgarian Air Force, but claimed that it came from money saved from other public procurement  orders.

The former Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army has also stated that he did not exert pressure on the Head of Defense (i.e. his successor as the post was renamed to Head of Defense), General Simeon Simeonov, to sign the documents for the purchase of the acquisition.

Nikolay Tsonev is facing several investigations and charges including for a public procurement contract of the Defense Ministry for the construction of an optic cable called Strandzha 2, worth BGN 120 M. According to Deputy Chief Prosecutor Boyko Naydenov, the deal was not only detrimental to the state but made no sense at all as the Defense Ministry did not need the optic cable.

The investigation of the deal was started at the end of 2009 and has not been taken to court yet.

Tsonev, who was part of the previous, socialist-led cabinet of the three-way coalition from the quota of former Tsar Simeon Saxe-Coburg's party National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NMSP), will also face the military magistrates over 4 deals signed during his term as Head of the Defense Ministry's Social Agency for the supply of military aircraft equipment. If proven guilty before the court martial, he will face between 3 and 10 years behind bars.

The arrest of Nikolay Tsonev on April 1, which was filmed and broadcast by the Interior Ministry, spurred a public outrage of police brutality as masked police officers made him kneel to the ground while Deputy Sofia Prosecutor Roman Vasilev called him "a criminal".

The footage of Tsonev's arrest released by the Interior Ministry showed Roman Vasilev telling the former minister, "For me, you are a criminal! As a criminal, kneel down on the floor!", while he is being handcuffed by masked policemen.

The former Defense Minister has decided to sue the Bulgarian state in Strasbourg, complaining of "humiliating treatment" by the police.

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Tags: Nikolay Tsonev, Zlatan Stoykov, Defense Ministry, Bulgarian Army, Bulgarian Air Force

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