Prosecutors to Check Bulgarian Interior Ministry over Wiretapping Claims

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov has sent a team of prosecutors to the country's Interior Ministry after allegations emerged that the Ministry has spied illegally on politicians, businessmen, magistrates and journalists.

A total of ten prosecutors will take part in the probe. The team is headed by Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov and his deputy, Roman Vasilev.

The deadline for the probe is April 12, with a report expected on April 16.

The move follows a tipoff sent to Tsatsarov by Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev.

Stanishev said he was in shock after receiving earlier in the week via email the said tipoff, alleging mass spying on the part of the Interior Ministry under the rule of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, and its Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, ever since they took office in 2009.

According to this information, the eavesdropping had been done without a warrant by a judge, as the law postulates.

According to the tipoff, the list of wiretapped people includes former President, Georgi Parvanov, current President, Rosen Plevneliev, right-wing leader and former PM, Ivan Kostov, honorary ethnic Turkish leader, Ahmed Dogan, nationalist leader, Volen Siderov, former Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, when on visits to Bulgaria, Tsvetelina Borislavova - banker and ex-girlfriend of former PM, Boyko Borisov, businessmen Ivo Prokopiev, Grisha Ganchev, Georgi Gergov, and a number of magistrates, among others.

Tsvetanov firmly rejects the accusations, labeling them slander and black PR.

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