site.btaProsecution Probes Interior Ministry Chief Secretary's Dismissal

Prosecution Probes Interior Ministry Chief Secretary's Dismissal

Sofia, February 23 (BTA) - The prosecution authorities have opened a check into an alert by Georgi Kostov about his dismissal as Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry, said Thursday Roumiana Arnaoudova, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor General.

She said that on February 15 Kostov alerted Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov that he had been pressured by Caretaker Interior Minister Plamen Ouzounov to step down from his post. Kostov said he was threatened that unless he resigned, ten people would testify that they had been pressured by him to leave the Interior Ministry.

The prosecutions authorities are checking whether this is a case of blackmailing, coercion or abuse of power. Caretaker Interior Minister Plamen Ouzounov, and the chiefs of the Inspectorate and the Internal Security Department have already been interviewed. The investigation is also checking phone conversations, said Arnaoudova, adding that they may be results from the check as early as Friday.