Bulgaria's Ex-Top Cop Grilled over Illegal Spying Scandal

Bulgaria’s former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov is currently being questioned by prosecutors in relation to the latest illegal wiretapping scandal in the country.

Tsvetanov arrived at the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in Sofia at about 2:25 pm EET on Thursday.

He is expected to be questioned about the secretly recorded conversation of former PM Boyko Borisov, former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov and former Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov, in which the three can be heard discussing options for obstructing proceedings against Naydenov who faces charges of corruption and malfeasance in office.

The recording of the scandalous talks was released in end-April, stirring a scandal. It is yet to be revealed who made the recording.

According to legal experts, there is a long list of crimes stemming from the conversation such as obstruction of justice, trading influence, corruption in public tenders, abuse of EU funds, leaks of classified information, and unauthorized spying.

Naydenov is currently on trial for corruption and malfeasance in office and is also a protected witness assisting the investigation of unauthorized use of special surveillance devices during the term in office of Tsvetan Tsvetanov as Interior Minister.

On May 7, Boyko Borisov was summoned to be interviewed at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassations in connection with the ongoing illegal wiretap leak probe.

The Bulgarian wiretapping scandal unfurled at the end of March when Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), submitted a tipoff to Tsatsarov, about alleged illegal wiretapping of politicians, businesspeople and magistrates which had taken place during the rule of Borisov's center-right GERB party (2009-2013).

Tsvetanov, who is currently GERB's election campaign manager, faces charges of failing to exercise proper control over the use of special surveillance devices during his term in office.

However, Tsvetanov cannot be charged because he is immune to prosecution as a candidate MP at the forthcoming May 12 snap elections.

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