Top Bulgarian Politicians Exchange Accusations after High-Profile Probe

Leaders from Bulgarian former ruling party GERB and current junior coalition partner the Movement for Rights and Freedoms have exchanged accusations of classified information abuse.

The occasion for the statements was Thursday's announcement by the Prosecutor's Office that it has launched a probe against former Movement vice-chair and Parliament Deputy Speaker Hristo Biserov.

Sunday Biserov resigned from his positions in the MRF leadership, and then asked to be freed from his MP duties too.

Soon after, there were rumors that the top politician might be investigated for an unspecified financial scheme.

Thursday, hours before the Prosecution announced that Biserov is actually probed, GERB vice-chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov said in a public statement that MRF leaders Lyutvi Mestan and Ahmed Dogan might have received information from the Prosecution, which might have prompted a pressure upon Biserov to resign.

On his part, Mestan retorted suggesting that Tsvetanov had no way to know that Biserov will be put under investigation.

After his aide's resignation Mestan had commented that the reasons are strictly personal and not political, and will be revealed at Biserov's discretion.

"If Tsvetanov's statement was made before that of the Prosecution, then I am asking: Who in this country has access to classified information and why?" said Mestan.

"The probe against Biserov shows that strange processes are going on in MRF. Who advised the Movement's leadership to get rid of Biserov?" retorted GERB leader and former Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov on his Facebook account.

Just Tuesday, there were reports that GERB and MRF are considering a joint coalition that would install a new cabinet in place of the current one chaired by PM Plamen Oresharski with the support of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement.