Right-Wing MP Vows New State Intelligence Agency, Security Sector Reform

Domestic | November 9, 2014, Sunday // 12:03|  views

Reformist Bloc MP Atanas Atanasov, photo by BGNES

Atanas Atanasov, MP from Bulgaria’s right-wing formation the Reformist Bloc, has vowed security sector reform.


In a Sunday interview for the morning broadcast of Nova TV, Atanasov insisted that the Military Intelligence Service and the National Investigative Service had to merge into a State Intelligence Agency.


He pointed out that Bulgaria, which had a population of around 7 million people, had two intelligence services and they were often working on the same cases in an environment of unhealthy competition.


Atanasov noted that there would certainly be opponents to the establishment of the new State Intelligence Agency.


The right-wing MP vowed to submit a draft bill proposing the merger of the two intelligence units next week, according to reports of Sega daily.


He said that he had no intention of heading the State Agency for National Security (DANS).


Atanasov suggested that the Financial Intelligence Agency had been aware of what was going on at Bulgaria’s troubled Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB, Corpbank) but for some reason the information had been kept secret.


He made clear that banks had an obligation to report any money transfer of over BGN 10 000 to the Financial Intelligence Agency.


Atanasov claimed that he knew what had happened to KTB but he would wait to see which facts would be unveiled.


The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) revoked the license of KTB on Thursday and moved to launch bankruptcy proceedings.


KTB, Bulgaria’s fourth-largest lender, has been closed since June 20, when a bank run caused BNB to place the bank under conservatorship.


Depositors with deposits of up to EUR 100 000, which are insured by the state, are to have access to their money as of December 4.

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Tags: Atanas Atanasov, Reformist Bloc, National Investigative Service, Military Intelligence, Corporate Commercial Bank, KTB, Bulgarian National Bank, BNB, State Agency for National Security, DANS, security sector

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