The temporary parliamentary commission to investigate the corruption practices in the Customs Agency is listening to the former finance minister Asen Vasilev.
You can watch the meeting HERE
The scandal in customs dates back to the beginning of April, when the director of the agency, Petya Bankova, was arrested. In the course of the investigation, it became clear that Bankova knew Stefan and Marin Dimitrovi, and the three are accused of participating in an organized criminal group for smuggling, money laundering and bribery.
During the court session, the testimony of a witness was quoted, according to which the Dimitrovs were also acquainted with the former Finance Minister Asen Vasilev.
At yesterday’s meeting of the commission, it became clear that FrFather and son Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi, convicted of participating in a criminal group for smuggling, bribery and trading in influence, visited both the building of the “Customs” Agency, where they met with Petya Bankova, and the Ministry of Finance, where they visited Minister Asen Vasilev, as well as the office of Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to the MoF reference The Dimitrovs visited Asen Vasilev at the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance two or three times at the end of 2023. They are both passed through one of the entrances, accompanied by an expert from the minister’s political office (Lachezar Stavrev) and their entry was not recorded.
The information was obtained from written explanations taken by the head of the security guards at the company that provides security services to the MoF. Last week, the acting minister Lyudmila Petkova explained that the video from the cameras in the ministry is only kept for a month, and there is no record of Dimitrovi either in the visitor’s log or in the ministry’s filing system.
On Tuesday, the deputies listened to the chairman of DANS Plamen Tonchev. In his words DANS established only one communication between Asen Vasilev and Stefan Dimitrov, and it was for the appointment of Nedan Hadjiev as director of the Regional Directorate (OD) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – Haskovo.
After the assignment in question failed, subsequently, a post was sought for Hadjiev in the customs.
“Literally in the last days before the implementation of the DANS, this person was being sought for a position in a high position in the Customs Agency, but such an appointment was not reached,” said Tonchev.
On this issue last week, Asen Vassilev explained that he proposed the appointment of Hadjiev because he contributed to a very low share of bought votes in the last local elections.
The response of the Ministry of Finance was read by the chairman of the commission yesterday Toshko Yordanov, who announced that Asen Vassilev lied that he did not know Dimitrovi.
Today’s meeting of the Temporary Parliamentary Commission for the Investigation of Corrupt Practices in the “Customs” Agency was opened by the presiding officer Toshko Yordanov, who announced that there was a quorum and read the agenda.
The word was given to Georgi Gospodinov, head of the “Captain Andreevo” border crossingcurrently working in another capacity, gave a brief presentation on the subject.
“I adhere to data that came out of the press center and in the media,” he announced and shared how the scandal affects him, his family and his relatives. Gospodinov pointed out that the results of the work of the employees of “Captain Andreevo” are indisputable. Record amounts of contraband cigarettes were seized – large, significant shipments of over 1 million pieces. More than 115 pre-trial proceedings were also instituted in just one year. Over 1.1 million illegal items from Turkey have been stopped.
“Against the background of all these results, something quite unpleasant happened for me and my colleagues. There was a press release from the Customs Agency, after which the next day staff transfers began. Some were posted over 100 km from their native places. In this press release said that there is information from outside offices about corrupt practices in the Bulgarian customs. The accusation of officials who are conscientious affects their families. The process of creating a good customs officer is many complex,” Georgi Gospodinov also stated.
He explicitly emphasized that the employees of “Captain Andreevo” are proven professionals and supplemented his summary with more examples of combating smuggling and customs fraud.
Gospodinov explained how to proceed in case of suspicion of corrupt practices towards an employee. He stated that the Inspectorate of the “Customs” Agency notifies the prosecutor’s office in such cases.
Nikolay Petkov from the Customs Agency stated in his turn that he was the head of the unit and head of the Lesovo border crossing point and subsequently of “Captain Andreevo”. He is currently an ordinary employee of the “Captain Andreevo” border crossing in the Second Operational Unit. He also highlighted the good amnesties in stopping smuggled goods and customs fraud. Petkov emphasized that “people need more confidence”.
Stay tuned for details
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