© Yulia Lazarova
Toshko Yordanov
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The role of Asen Vassilev in the scheme has been proven” – with this conclusion, the temporary parliamentary commission, which was supposed to check for corruption in customs and “the possible role of Asen Vassilev”, was dissolved.
Its members today adopted a report on their activities (already sent to the prosecutor’s office) with 8 votes in favor. Two MPs – Rumen Gechev from the BSP and Dimo Drenchev from “Vazrazhdane” – supported him, but with a different opinion. Venetsia Angova from “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” was against, and her colleague Konstantin Bachiyski abstained.
Shocking pre-election meetings
The commission was created at a midnight session of the parliament on April 4 at the initiative of “There is such a people”. The author of its name – Toshko Yordanov, became its chairman, as he decided to hold emergency meetings – there were such meetings two and three times a week.
From “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria”, BSP and “Vazrazhdane” today criticized Yordanov for speeding up the commission’s work even on its last day, since the final report of 37 pages was sent immediately before the meeting, due to which the deputies did not have time to familiarize themselves with the texts expected to vote.
I can’t vote for something I haven’t read.
deputy from “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria”
GERB, DPS and “Ima talik narod” expectedly praised Yordanov’s presidency, noting that he “did a great job”, as Yordan Tsonev from DPS said. Raya Nazaryan from GERB commented that the prepared report was objective and thanks to it the commission made it clear that violators of the law would be exposed. Stanislav Balabanov stated that everything became clear at the third meeting of the commission and added:
The state institutions and the people in them have been put in a humiliating condition by a particular political formation which, through pressure, wanted to provide a heavy political umbrella.
MP from “There is such a people”
Dimo Drenchev from “Vazrazhdane” pointed out that the commission met “with a bang”, thanks to which “proved Asen Vassilev’s role in the scheme”. However, in his words, Boyko Rashkov was “more involved”. The deputy also criticized DANS, which for two years monitored the smuggling channel, had information about bribes and the connections of the former director of customs, Petya Bankova, but despite this, no arrests were made and they allowed her to be appointed to the management post.
They (DANS – b.a.) know that Bankova was corrupt even as deputy director of the agency, and they did nothing when she became the head (of the “Customs” Agency – b.a.). They were obviously waiting for orders to act.
MP from “Vazrazhdane”
What did the commission find out?
In 21 days, the commission held seven meetings, five of which were substantive. During them, the acting Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov, the chairman of DANS Plamen Tonchev, the acting Minister of Finance Lyudmila Petkova, the new director of the “Customs” Agency Georgi Dimov, the former chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Petar Todorov, two employees reappointed by Petya Bankova were heard. “Customs” Agency and the former Finance Minister Asen Vasilev. Boyko Rashkov was also invited and he gave a presentation, but refused to answer questions. From all of them and the requested additional documents and references, it became known that:
- Asen Vassilev has asked Kalin Stoyanov to replace the director of the Directorate of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – Haskovo;
- Boyko Rashkov held ten meetings with Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi in the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- There is a photo of Asen Vasilev with Dimitrovi in front of the building of the Customs Agency;
- Petya Bankova held meetings with Stefan Dimitrovi in the building of the Customs Agency;
- DANS has been monitoring the smuggling channel since 2022, having data on bribes being paid in the Parliament car park;
- There is no information that foreign services wanted to change the management of the “Customs” Agency;
- Dimitrovi entered the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance through a side entrance. The proof of the meetings in the MoF is on a loose sheet and with errors;
- There is a report against Zhivko Kotsev for patronizing smuggling since 2013.
The commission was not a court, but its report cited judgments
During the debates today, Yordan Tsonev from DPS stated that the commission is not a court and does not issue verdicts. “Dnevnik” has the report (see at the end of the text), which largely retells the hearings already held. At the end of it, seven conclusions were drawn, and some of them cited articles from the Criminal Code for sentences.
“Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi, guilty of smuggling, repeatedly entered the buildings of the Customs Agency and the Ministry of the Interior. Often this happened without being registered at the entrance,” the report says. In connection with these data, the members of the commission insist that the prosecutor’s office, the National Security Agency and the State Information Security Commission establish who is responsible for the violation of the access regime and whether there was “substantial” unregulated access to classified information by persons engaged in criminal activity.
“Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi had contacts with Boyko Rashkov, Zhivko Kotsev, Petya Bankova, Georgi Georgiev – former director of the Internal Security Directorate at the Ministry of the Interior, Nedan Hadjiev.” The report proposes to check whether they patronized the Dimitrovs and whether they received bribes. In the third and fourth “conclusions” of the commission, the Criminal Code is cited, which provides for a penalty of imprisonment up to the imposition of fines for patronage and bribery.
The fifth conclusion recommends the introduction of a mandatory polygraph test before the appointment of a new director of customs and a new chief secretary of the Ministry of the Interior. The commission recommends that even after that, the study be done once a year.
The commission proposes that before “any such key appointment” the financial status of the candidates for the positions of Financial Intelligence” of DANS be investigated. The final seventh recommendation states “minimizing the possibility of the state to “produce” so-called fake news.” For this purpose, it is proposed any information that the departments publish must be signed by an official to identify who is responsible for it.If the message refers to another document, it must be cited with the appropriate individualizing administrative signature of the sender.
