Bulgarian Prosecution Halts Probe in Latest 'Snooping' Saga

The Bulgarian tabloid Galeria editor-in-chief, Kristina Patrashkova, photo BGNES

Bulgaria's Prosecutor's Office has terminated its probe in the tipoff in the latest "Watergate" claims.

The probe was launched after the editor-in-chief of Bulgarian tabloid Galeria, Kristina Patrashkova, recently stated that she was ready to present evidence for a meeting between former Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, former President, Georgi Parvanov, and former Minister of the Interior, Rumen Petkov, where they discussed possible political cooperation.

This prompted strong reactions of Borisov and Parvanov, both firmly denying ever holding such conversation, while Borisov, who is the leader of the largest opposition center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria ( GERB) party, called the scandal a new "Watergate" and approached the chief prosecutor over media abuses of his personal privacy.

The Prosecutor's Office said they have decided to halt the probe after receiving a letter from Patrashkova stating that her sources have not presented documentation and recordings of the said conversation.

Meanwhile, early Wednesday morning, speaking before Nova TV, she made another U-turn saying there were such recordings and she had played them for other journalists from Galeria, adding the Prosecution did not mean that such tapes did not exist, but that they were not provided to them.

The editor-in-chief offered as explanation her not wanting to make public the evidence at this stage and the decision depending on her informants.

She was firm the taped conversation pertained to collaboration between political leaders and to energy sector projects.

Patrashkova further claimed the same informant had provided recordings that could answer the question if the anti-government protests were funded by someone.

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