site.btaInterior Minister Passionately Rejects Criticism, Says Critics Have Ulterior Motives

Interior Minister Passionately Rejects Criticism, Says Critics Have Ulterior Motives

Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova passionately rejected criticism of her work and that of her Ministry at a news conference Wednesday, saying that any attempt to criticize the law-enforcers with lies and slanders will be treated as attempts against the public and national security. She also dismissed suggestions that somebody else, rather than herself, is making the decisions in the area of public security. "The person who runs the Interior Ministry is Roumyana Buchvarova and anybody who questions this probably has ulterior motives," she said.

She said her most valuable advisor is Prime Minister - and former Interior Ministry chief secretary - Boyko Borissov and added that his experience is "endless".

"I value public opinion but I am not going to allow attempts to destabilize the Interior Ministry and render it inoperable. Some circles have an immediate interest in having an Interior Ministry which does not work well. The ultimate goal is to destabilize the government. [...] As for the economic, media and other circles with ambitions to take control of the Interior Ministry, I can say that these circles are the loudest critics of the Interior Ministry."

The Minister went on to say that people in the news media are using her Ministry to fill the pages of their newspapers. "The criticisms of the Ministry are unprofessional, especially when they come from people who have worked in the security sector and who often mean harm."

She denied rumours that the Interior Ministry chief secretary comes to work drunk. "Not only doesn't he come to work drunk: he never drinks. These are outrageous lies which don't even deserve denial."

She went on to reject attacks that the contemplated Interior Ministry reform will actually inflate further the administrative staff. "The Interior Ministry is doing its best to get reformed and work well. The aim is to make it a modern institution with a modern administration".

She dismissed criticism for being in China when police had two high-profile murders to deal with. "My visit to China was one by my responsibilities in the area of international cooperation," she said adding that she did not go there for fun. "After a 17-hour trip, I had 12 hours for all my meetings and headed back immediately after that."

She called "preposterous" a declaration by the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria in which they called for her resignation unless the murderer of the owner of one of the most successful fashion houses in Bulgaria, Agressia, is not immediately identified and apprehended.

She said that the declaration showed a poorly concealed personal motive and a lack of awareness of how an investigation proceeds. "Business people are not treated as a privileged group by the Interior Ministry. If I am asked to set priorities, those who spend 20 days on overseas vacations are not going to be among them. We have a responsibility to all Bulgarians and no group has a right to consider itself privileged."

She admitted, though, that the two recent killings of businessmen were a cause of concern.

"I am most of all concerned by the lack of results in the investigation of the murder of the 16-year-old Georgi in Sofia's Boris Gardens [last year's]. A huge amount of work has been done but there is no result yet."

She went on to say that statistics shows a 25.5 per cent decline of murders in 2015 from 2009 and an increase of the clear-up rate by 30 per cent. "There is a job well done here but it is not noticed by the press."

Buchvarova also had something to say to the police trade union. "After the widely-covered [anti-reform] protests two months ago and the meetings in Parliament, I said that I was not stepping down from the debate on the proposed reforms. Changes need to be made in the remuneration to make it just without reducing it. I expect them [the unions] to have a constructive position. I wonder what for they are going on a strike now since no decision has been made as yet," she said commenting reports of contemplated police protests.

The Minister said that early next week she will unveil her reform package with changes in seven aspects.