Secret quarters, smuggling connections. Atanasov hinted at cases against the interior minister

The prosecutor’s office should say whether two cases have been opened against Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov. PP-DB deputy Atanas Atanasov called for this. He stated to BNT that there was public information about such proceedings. Atanasov cited an interrogation of the former head of the “Internal Security” Directorate at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Stefcho Bankov.

Let the prosecutor’s office show these cases so we can see them for what they are. Is it a coincidence that after the interrogation of Bankov, the development of his sister begins?”he stated.

The interrogation

The interrogation of Bankov was published at the beginning of the month by the “Anti-Corruption Fund” organization. In it, the former head of “Internal Security” talks about completely different topics, and the one with the interior minister is mentioned in a few sentences.

Bankov, who is the brother of the arrested former head of the “Customs” agency Petya Bankova, was fired from the Ministry of Internal Affairs by Boyko Rashkov. He then became an assistant prosecutor. His questioning is focused on what he did in the prosecutor’s office during the time of Ivan Geshev. He says that he was given tasks to write articles against various people, which were then published in certain media, and the prosecutor’s office self-referred to them and cases were opened.

Bankov does not claim that there are two cases against Stoyanov. He says only that he was asked to print a report against the minister, “which will serve to reopen cases“.

“I read the material and saw that it was about Stoyanov’s illegal use of secret accommodation, owned by GDBOP, in which he housed his family and himself, as well as his connections with a customs officer from Burgas, I don’t remember his name and corrupt practices , related to smuggling and drugs in the Burgas region“, says Bankov.

However, Atanasov went further and stated that living in a secret GDBOP accommodation was an “absolute crime”. Regarding the smuggler from Burgas, the deputy stated that he was Nikolay Filipov, nicknamed Niki Mitnicharya.

The only case against Stoyanov, about which there is public information, is the one related to the investigation of the millions allocated for the construction of the Hemus highway. As head of the GDBOP, he was accused of putting pressure on a prosecutor in this case. After he became a minister, the proceedings against him were dropped.

On Wednesday, Stoyanov commented that there is no information about other investigations against him.

“Everything is easily verifiable as to who, where and when he lived“, the minister said.

Customs and the Notary

The affair at the customs is a fictional plot and a “multifunctional active event”, Atanasov also said. The aim is to divert attention from the scandal with the murdered Martin Bojanov, accused of being a lobbyist in the judiciary.

As part of the investigation, the former chief Petya Bankova, as well as Stefan and Marin Dimitrovi, were arrested along with the revenue agency. They were accused of participating in a criminal group for smuggling and corruption. The former Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhivko Kotsev, was also charged. Photos of him with another defendant, Stefan Dimitrov, were published. There is also a shot with former interior minister Boyko Rashkov. According to this investigation, a number of superiors in the Ministry of Internal Affairs were questioned, who claimed to have seen Stefan Dimitrov in the office of the former minister Rashkov.

“The second goal of the organizers is to discredit our coalition before the election, that we are the organizers of smuggling. These are scenarios that play out. The chairman of DANS says that the development started a year ago. But at that time, neither the chief secretary nor the head of customs had taken their posts. This is a made-up scenario, all of this is concocted in order to discredit us before the election. Since yesterday, I’ve been seeing excitement regarding Boyko Rashkov, the name of Asen Vassilev is being mentioned. That’s the whole plot“, commented Atanasov.

Bankova is currently in custody. Stefan and Marin Dimitrovi were also detained. Kotsev is free on bail. There is another accused in the case – Nikola Nikolov-Paskal, who is missing.