Following the large-scale operation by the European Prosecutor’s Office and the Bulgarian police on March 17 during which former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was detained, EPPO confirmed on Tuesday that it has received several reports of serious allegations of fraud with EU funds and systemic corruption, involving top officials from Bulgaria.
Although EPPO has not announced any additional names as of Monday, its statement says that investigations are ongoing and notes that no further details will be released in order not to endanger their outcome.
EPPO announced on Monday that Borisov was arrested on suspicion of blackmailing gambling boss Vasil Bozhkov, who has been investigated for two years but is hiding in Dubai. His arrest coincided with European chief prosecutor Laura Kövesi’s visit to Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Ministry of Interior announced that Borissov’s arrest is prompted by EPPO’s investigation but was forced to release him 24 hours later after the prosecutor’s office refused to bring charges against Borisov – despite police insistence.
According to claims made by the prosecutor’s office later, the Interior Ministry had made serious mistakes by starting the investigation considering there was no evidence to support charging Borissov.
Both Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov and Bulgarian PM Kiril Petkov have accused the prosecutor’s office of deliberately sabotaging the investigation, arguing that well-known information received from the bribed person and already available to EPPO is concealed and ignored just so that no investigation is carried out by law.
Even Bozhkov himself has already announced that he has testified before the EPPO.
The S&D group underscored in a statement there are too many questions that need answers now that EPPO has confirmed the reports from Bulgaria highlighting serious allegations of fraud and corruption.
European People’s Party has sent an urgent parliamentary mission to Sofia to examine the facts about the arrests of Borissov, but the S&D chief Iratxe Garcia Perez pointed out that instead of complaining about Borissov’s arrest, the EPP group should encourage him to cooperate with justice.
Be the first to comment