Bulgarian Opposition Demands Probe of PM's 'Criminal Past'

Socialist Member of the Parliament, Anton Kutev, says his party will ask the Prosecutor to probe past criminal activities of Bulgaria's Prime Minister. Photo by BGNES

The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is prepared to ask a probe of the past of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, and his current dependencies, in case the Prosecutor's Office fail do to it on their own.

The announcement was made Thursday by the BSP Member of the Parliament and of the party's leadership, Anton Kutev, who spoke in connection with a diplomatic cable on Borisov, written in 2006, by the former US Ambassador to Sofia, John Beyrle.

Kutev says the report is enough to give the prosecutor grounds for an investigation since it talks about "to put it mildly, a not very legal trade," adding if all of what is written by the diplomat, Borisov not only cannot keep the PM post, but must be send to jail.

The MP informed he is in talks with BSP legal advisors to decide on particular indictments – contraband, dependency on the Russian energy giant Lukoil, or distribution of metamphetamines.

Kutev further says the cable in question shows that American diplomats deal with intelligence activities, which makes the amendments, approved by the cabinet Wednesday, providing the recall of Bulgarian ambassadors, who have been employees or collaborators of the former Communist State Security, DS, and banning the latter from future diplomatic appointments, "senseless."

Meanwhile, unnamed politicians from the leadership of Borisov's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, cited by the Bulgarian daily Dnevnik, have dismissed the allegations as old information, known to the public for a while, which would not have any damaging consequences for Bulgaria's and its PM's image abroad.

GERB politicians have further pointed out that the US continues to support Borisov even though the Embassy has been aware of Borisov's ties and activities as early as 2006, as Beyrle's report shows.

GERB MPs are further quoted saying they do not believe part of the information to be true, such as the distribution of metamphetamines, reminding similar "rumors" have been circulating in public space for a while. GERB members overwhelmingly have said the cable is being released now to time it with the upcoming local and presidential elections.

The right-wing Blue Coalition also noted they have not been surprised by anything in the slamming cable, and pointed out the crucial issue now is to what extend Borisov's dependencies are actual since this would mean a lot about Bulgaria's energy projects and future.

"If Borisov says we are going to build the second Nuclear Power Plant in the Danube town of Belene with the Russians, one can conclude he is still dependent on the Lukoil Bulgaria CEO, Valentin Zlatev," the leader of one of the two parties in the Coalition – Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, Martin Dimitrov, is quoted telling Dnevnik.

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