Bulgarian Ex Key MP Charged with Money Laundering, Document Fraud

Both Biserov and Glavinkov have been imposed a ban to leave the country, as well as a bail of BGN 25 000. Photo by BGNES

Former Deputy Parliament Speaker Hristo Biserov underwent an interrogation of over 2 hours at the Sofia City Investigative Service on Friday.

Biserov former MP of liberal party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), and his stepson, Ivaylo Glavinkov, were questioned over money-laundering and tax evasion.

Biserov left the building with his lawyer at 1 pm without commenting on the matter.

Later in the day it emerged that Biserov has been charged with money laundering and submitting a false statement with the National Audit Office.

Both Biserov and Glavinkov have been imposed a ban to leave the country, as well as a bail of BGN 25 000. 

The prosecuting authority initiated proceedings against Biserov and his stepson Ivaylo Glavinkov three days after he announced that he was leaving Parliament and DPS for personal reasons.

The lawsuit for financial fraud seeks to trace three transfers worth a total of USD 315 000 and EUR 130 000 from bank accounts of Biserov in Switzerland to other accounts of Glavinkov in a Macedonian bank, and from there to offshore companies, according to reports of the BGNES news agency.

The Chief Directorate "Combating Organized Crime" (GDBOP) of the Interior Ministry allegedly had information about two of the transactions in 2012.

Asked to comment on the case, Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said that the mechanism for receiving international legal assistance had been activated.

Tsatsarov admitted that the mechanism was cumbersome, adding that it would allow Bulgaria to receive a maximum amount of information from two European countries.

He also noted that the information which had already been submitted to the State Agency for National Security (DANS) by a foreign security service had not been very exhaustive.

The Chief Prosecutor also told journalists that a data leak probe had been launched at DANS.

57-year-old Biserov was MP in the periods of 1991-2000 and 2005-2009.

He was Chief Secretary and a senior figure at the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces in 1994-2000.

In 2005, he entered Parliament as MP from DPS.

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