Bulgaria's Ex FBI Head Becomes President-Elect Chief of Staff

Tsvetlin Yovchev, former head of the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security. Photo by BGNES

The former Director of Bulgaria's State Agency for National Security, DANS, Tsvetlin Yovchev, will be the Chief of Staff of President-elect, Rosen Plevneliev.

The news was reported Wednesday by the Bulgarian "Trud" (Labor) daily.

The person to take the post of Presidential Secretary for National Security remains unknown. Insiders labeled information that he will be current Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov, as absurd.

Yovchev resigned as DANS Head in February 2011, after a scandal with the leaks from the Agency of recordings made through special surveillance devices, SRS. Some were made public by the leader of the marginal, conservative Order, Law and Justice, RZS, party, Yane Yanev, while others were published in the anti-government tabloid "Galeria" weekly.

In one of the wiretaps, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, can be heart asking the Director of the Customs Agency, Vanyo Tanov, to halt a tax probe in the "Ledenika" brewery, owned by now late Mihail Mihov AKA Misho The Beer.

The authenticity of the recordings was never definitely proven.

At the time, Yovchev listed among the motives for his resignation, the lack of trust in him as DANS Head and failing to fulfill Borisov's expectations about the Agency's priorities.

The PM accepted the resignation, stressing he valued highly Yovchev's qualities as expert, police officer and DANS agent, but added that in order to be a good boss, one should also know how to control his or her subordinates.

"Trud" reminds that in June, Yovchev was appointed Borisov's National Security Advisor.

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