The acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, Georgi Kandev, stated on Friday that he had faced pressure. In a Facebook video, Kandev recounted receiving calls on Thursday, including one from a hidden number via a mobile app. He reported being informed that an individual nicknamed “Kartofa” and associates were providing false testimony against him at the Sofia City Prosecution Office (SCPO).
Kandev alleged that this activity was orchestrated by a former Interior Ministry official named “Svetlyo.” The Secretary General questioned the SCPO regarding the testimony of “convicted and criminally charged individuals,” the instigators of the scenario, and the timing of these actions. Kandev asserted, “Silence is not an option. I will not back down!”
Prime Minister Andrey Gurov expressed his support for Kandev, stating that the entire caretaker government and “every honest Bulgarian citizen” stand with him.
He characterized the alleged pressure against the acting Secretary General of the Ministry as a “vendetta” occurring at the SCPO under prosecutor Emilia Rusinova. Gurov further criticized Rusinova, describing her as linked to Petyo “The Euro” Petrov, a figure associated with influencing the Bulgarian judiciary. Interior Minister Emil Dechev supported Kandev, claiming that “old cops” were employing tactics to undermine the Secretary General.
Dechev affirmed the commitment of the caretaker government and the Ministry to minimizing electoral crimes. Assen Vassilev criticized the threats as “scandalous,” advocating for the replacement of the Supreme Judicial Council. Meanwhile, the Yes, Bulgaria party accused prosecutors of being misused to target officials engaged in institutional reform, referencing the “Borissov-Peevski model.”
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