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Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has been summoned for questioning by the prosecution on suspicions that he was linked to the purchase of a luxury home in Barcelona for the model Borislava Yovcheva. This is clear from the responses of the state prosecutor’s office to the questions of the Civil Liberties Commission of the European Parliament (LIBE). Similar information on this case has not been provided in Bulgaria, but the prosecution’s responses have been uploaded to the website of the European Parliament.
Apart from the Barcelona house, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is also responsible for the anti-corruption investigations it carries out, boasts of its success and complains about political pressure from almost all parties. At the same time, however, the state prosecutor’s office complains of a lack of will to fight corruption in the government.
We ask the Spanish, keep quiet
An investigation into allegations that Borissov was involved in possible money laundering began after the Spanish newspaper El Periódico published an extensive investigation into the purchase of the former Miss Bikini’s house, which is also linked to the prime minister. The publication spoke of an investigation that focuses on the origin of the 5 million euros invested in 2013 in real estate in Barcelona through the companies Numin Invest SL and Emma BGS SL. The companies are connected with the former model Yovcheva, her son and her father.
On March 4 of this year, the supervising prosecutor in Bulgaria requested additional information from the Spanish authorities, the prosecution responded to the LIBE commission. They informed him that the investigation was being carried out by the Mossos d’Escadra of the Catalan police and a special prosecutor.
The materials are claimed to be secret and can only be provided after contacting the supervising prosecutor in our country. The Bulgarian authorities waited four months before providing information on the prosecutor. They were shipped on July 22.
“Despite the contact sent and the long time that has elapsed, the judicial authorities of the Kingdom of Spain have still come into contact with the Bulgarians. The investigation has not ended since it is necessary to wait for the results of the audits of certain people and assets, as well as the responses of the authorities of the Kingdom of Spain.“, affirms the Office of the Prosecutor in its answer.
Borisov denies having any connection with Yovcheva or the purchase of the house. Recently, the prime minister was asked if he had a child and answered “No.”
In addition to this property, the former model also had a luxury boutique, which was quickly closed after it became known about the Spanish police investigation.
It was recently revealed that Yovcheva had entered into a civil marriage with businessman Yordan Hristov. Meanwhile, the house was put up for sale. Its owner was another businessman, Alexander Chaushev, who assures that Borislava Yovcheva lives there for rent, but did not know her. The businessman says that he bought the house years ago for 3 million euros for investment and has always given it away. for rent through a brokerage house. Before buying the property, he asked to verify the origin of his funds.
Borissov has no political will
In its letter to MEPs, the prosecution decided to wash its hands of the fight against corruption due to the lack of political will on the part of the rulers. In this context, it is explained that in the last two years there have been investigations against criminal groups that have not been “carried out during the entire transition since 1989.”
“The fight against corruption is one of the main priorities of the prosecution, “the letter says. It adds:” One of the most significant results is the transfer of corruption cases to specialized courts and prosecutors.“.
“Last but not least (the reason for the difficulties is), the lack of sufficient political will to create a solid legislative foundation for an effectively functioning judiciary.“wrote the prosecution to the EP.
State prosecution is justified by the Penal Code of 1968 and the very formal Code of Criminal Procedure. The statement by the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office that it works under the most difficult procedural conditions compared to prosecutors in all other EU countries is impressive.
In the end, MEPs are faced with the listed anti-corruption successes, which don’t tell them much. There is a list of absolutely incomprehensible agreements for them of interaction between the prosecution and other competent Bulgarian institutions with abbreviations in English, which do not say anything to anyone except the prosecution translators – CCUAAFA, PFIA and others.
The assets freeze of 1,500 million euros is mentioned, which has been carried out by the anti-corruption commission for the last 10 years.
We apologize for the lie
The prosecution officially apologized to members of the LIBE commission for the published press release, which said that the discussion on Bulgaria in the European Parliament was started by Ivan Geshev, a misunderstanding with which the attorney general had nothing to do.
Asked about the suspicions of violation of the presumption of innocence, the Prosecutor’s Office replied that it had been taken “a proactive approach to informing the publicProsecutors, including the Attorney General, did not violate the presumption of innocence, but only informed the public, that they had the right to receive timely information.
“There is no default when an ongoing investigation is announced and the assumptions established during these statements are disclosed.“says the position of the state prosecutor.
Without precedents! For the first time in our recent history
The prosecutor’s office responses to LIBE sound exactly like a press conference in which Geshev stated that writing an indictment for draining the Corporate Commercial Bank is like landing on the moon with a diesel engine. It has been repeatedly stressed that in the last two years (since Geshev has been deputy chief and chief prosecutor) the prosecution has been functioning as never before since 1989. The state prosecutor’s office has investigations against ministers, deputy ministers and deputies. Some of them have not even entered the judicial phase, and those who have been convicted are suspended (Zhivko Martinov, a former GERB deputy, for example).
Furthermore, the prosecution claims that thanks to their good work, the sense of justice among Bulgarians has been strengthened.
“As a result of these actions, the sense of justice and equality before the law, regardless of property or social status, is becoming stronger in society.“Writes the state attorney.
According to them, the cases against several large businessmen are unprecedented. Here are Vetko and Marinela Arabadjievi, Minyu Staykov, Nikolay and Evgenia Banevi, as well as the most recent ones, against the head of game Vasil Bozhkov and the brothers Atanas and Plamen Bobokovi.
And since the commission asks whether the politicians investigated are from the ruling or opposition party, the prosecutor’s office proudly replies that Neno Dimov, for example, was arrested while he was acting environment minister, and the leader of IMRO, Krassimir Karakachanov, described his arrest as a striking murder. . The state prosecutor’s office adds that Krassimir Zhivkov, the former Dimov deputy arrested along with the Bobokovi brothers, belongs to the GERB quota.
All politicians scold us
The prosecution is under heavy pressure from almost all political forces, according to LIBE’s responses. For example, statements about “cleansing” and “re-election” made by the co-president of “Democratic Bulgaria”, Hristo Ivanov, are mentioned.
Cornelia Ninova has also criticized the actions of the prosecution, denounces the state prosecution. They recall that she called Geshev’s request to the Constitutional Court to interpret the scope of the president’s immunity as an attempt to intimidate the head of state.
Boyko Borissov also complained to prosecutors. This happened after he was summoned for another questioning. He then declared that all this was being done to please President Radev. The prosecutor’s office is in open conflict with the head of state himself after he released tapes of their recorded conversations and stormed the presidency to search. But the prosecution recalls that this happened with the permission of the court, and Radev participated in a protest, during which he called them “mafia.”
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