site.btaRecent Murders Not Related to Bulgarian EU Presidency's Start, According to Interior Ministry, Prosecution Office

Sofia, January 11 (BTA) - During a hearing at the parliamentary Internal Security and Public Order Committee, Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov and Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Mladenov Marinov expressed the opinion that the recent serious crimes in the country are not linked to the launch of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency. In Marinov's words, the combination of serious criminal acts is alarming but, according to an ongoing analysis, the cases are not related to each other and are not aimed at purposefully increasing the tension in Bulgaria, causing panic and discrediting the country while it presides over the EU Council.

Marinov added that extremely serious security measures have been taken for the six months of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency.

The hearing was prompted by recent murders in the country and the official launch of the Bulgarian EU Presidency on Thursday.

Commenting on Monday's murder of businessman Peter Hristov in Sofia, Tsatsarov told the parliamentary committee the investigators are working on all versions linked to closed penal proceedings and the entire spectre of the victim's business.

Tsatsarov also said that on Friday he will meet with Marinov and the Director of the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology to discuss the institute's financing and status due to problems in this area. In the Prosecutor General's words, he has been assured by the Prime Minister and the Government that resources could be allocated to this end.

Talking about last week's murder of six persons in Novi Iskar (Western Bulgaria), Tsatsarov said that the prosecuting magistracy has no doubt that suspect Rossen Angelov, who was found dead on January 7, is the perpetrator of the crime and that he committed suicide.

Asked about the search for persons with effective prison sentences who remain at large, as was the case of Angelov, Tsatsarov said that the Justice Ministry's Chief Directorate for the Execution of Sentences does not have the capacity to perform this task and that it should be carried out by the Interior Ministry.

Tsatsarov also proposed that a new model of the organization of the Interior Ministry's work should be elaborated to allow for police forces to be present in every settlement, following the example of Turkey, France and Spain. The district inspector is given many tasks but the is ineffective, the Prosecutor General went on to say. "People need police in the cities and gendarmerie in villages with the same powers," he added.

National Police head Hristo Terziyski presented data during the hearing showing that there were 511 persons with effective prison sentences, 317 persons with custody decisions and 41 prison escapees declared for nationwide search in 2017. He said that the Interior Ministry's search work would be made easier if they are authorized to use special surveillance means and apply the Electronic Communications Act.