Opposition: 'Bulgarian FBI' Head Resigned to Save Interior Minister

Rumen Petkov, a key BSP MP and former Bulgarian Interior Minister. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Interior Minister is to be blamed for the resignation of Tsvetlin Yovchev, head of the State Agency for National Security, according to the oppositional leftist Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).

"Yovchev is a man with high level of professionalism. I cannot understand why the Prime Minister attacked his agency without any arguments whatsoever, blaming it for the leak of special surveillance devices," Rumen Petkov, a key BSP MP and former Interior Minister (2005-2007), commented on Wednesday.

He referred to the scandal which erupted after the leak of discrediting taped phone conversations between senior government officials and Customs Office chief Vanyo Tanov.

It is clear that Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has ordered the use of surveillance devices on Tanov and he is the one responsible for the leaks, according to Rumen Petkov.

Korneliya Ninova, another high-ranked BSP MP, has also said that Tsvetanov is responsible for the whole scandal, as he is in charge of ordering special surveillance devices.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said he would execute changes in DANS without hesitating if its leadership fails to provide security of information and to stop the scandalous leaks of classified information.

Later, Tsvetlin Yovchev submitted his resignation, asking Borisov that he is dismissed from office due to the government's consistent lack of trust in his skills.

Yovchev was appointed Director of DANS after the prime minister accepted the resignation of the former head Petko Sertov at the beginning of August 2009. He took office on August 10 after President Georgi Parvanov issued a decree for his appointment.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!