site.btaProsecutors Question PM Borissov about His Acquaintance with Plamen Bobokov in Trading in Influence Case against Businessman

Sofia, July 7 (BTA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov
was questioned at the Specialized Prosecution Office on Tuesday
in connection with a trading in influence case instituted over
communication between Rousse-based businessman Plamen Bobokov
and President Rumen Radev's Secretary on Legal Affairs and
Anti-Corruption Plamen Uzunov.

Emerging from the questioning, Borissov told the media that "the
 prosecution service is organizing these publicized events to
please President Radev".

The Prime Minister said he had known Bobokov for more than 10
years and that the businessman had been on delegations and was
an honourable person. Bobokov's business was assisted at the
proposal of employers' organizations and strictly within the
law, Borissov pointed out.

Tuesday's questioning was prompted by screenshots of text
message exchanged with the PM which Bobokov made public last
week. On one occasion, the businessman approached Borissov about
  the Libyan tanker Badr, which was arrested in the Port of
Bourgas at the end of 2018 to secure a 9.25 million dollar claim
 against the state-owned Libyan Navigator company. The text
message in question opens with the phrase "Good morning, boss".
Borissov did not deny this communication and explained that he
had had numerous meetings with the businessman.

GERB MP Plamen Nounev was also questioned on Tuesday. Bobokov
claimed that all appointments in Rousse had to be cleared with
Nounev. Another witness called is GERB's former regional
coordinator in the city. Bobokov himself will be questioned
later in the day.

While Bobokov was being investigated in connection with waste
mismanagement, it emerged that Uzunov had sent him a Supreme
Administrative Court judgment about Badr before the instrument
was officially published. Later on, the prosecution service made
 public text messages concerning a Russian whose Bulgarian
citizenship application had been rejected, a request to delete
the criminal record of a Syrian friend, a request to identify
deluxe car owners, and proposals for ambassadorial appointments.
 Other text messages suggested that a Bulgarian convicted in
Romania tried to secure a pardon, but the Administration of the
President said that such a procedure was never launched. NV/LG