site.btaHigh-Profile Money Laundering Suspect Speaks to Interior Minister, Is Questioned by Prosecutors in Prosecutor General's Presence

Sofia, December 21 (BTA) - Borislav Kolev, the sole suspect in a high-profile money-laundering case spoke, at his request, to Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov and was questioned by prosecutors in the presence of Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, Kolev's brother told the press that Borislav wanted to talk to Rashkov and Prosecutor Ivan Geshev.

The 42-year-old Kolev is the only suspect in a money laundering scheme using the construction of the Hemus Motorway. He was arrested earlier in December for organizing the scheme in which close to 54 million leva paid by the last GERB government for construction of Hemus, vanished in an intricate scheme of straw companies. That happened through an in-house contracting procedure at the state-owned road construction company Avomagistrali, which was able to pick without a competition the contractors in the motorway project. From the Avtomagistrali contractors, the money reached the straw companies and were withdrawn from the bank in bags and sacs, according to witnesses. The straw companies had low-income and uneducated people as nominal owners. Now, the 54 million leva that has been paid is missing and the motorway is not built.

It transpired recently that Kolev had sought to provide to the investigators information that would possibly lead to people higher up in the money laundering scheme - in exchange for milder charges. That caused recriminations between the Interior Ministry and the prosecuting service of sabbotaging the case.

Having talked to the suspect on Tuesday, Interior Minister Rashkov said that he he heard "some details" and the prosecution service and the Directorate General for Combatting Organized Crime will follow those up. "I am not surprised by what I heard but now the investigation could go faster and the case be resolved," said he. He said that he "heard names" but those would be made public when the investigation makes progress.

He would not say whether those were the names of public figures.

"Most probably Kolev was not the final recipient of the money," said the Minister.

Arriving to Sofia's Palace of Justice for Kolev's questioning, Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev said he was authorized by the suprevising prosecutors to attend at the express request of the suspect and his lawyer.

Geshev also said that if the suspect cooperates with the investigators, it will be solely thanks to the prosecutors, who have done their work well.

Kolev was put in permanent remand by the court on Tuesday.

The prosecution demanded Kolev's return into custody from house arrest and his lawyer asked that he is released with no distraint measure.

The Tuesday court decision is final.

In their reasoning judges assume that Kolev was part of a well-organized scheme for money laundering in the construction of Hemus Motorway. They said that he may commit another crime if he receives a less strict distraint measure.

Speaking to reporters, Kolev's brother said he was not the final recipient of the money and urged the media to find the answer to the question who the money has been destined for and what interests are involved.as brought to Sofia's Palace of Justice.