site.btaHead of Border Police Resigns after Human Trafficking Suspect Wins Public Contract for Transportation of Illegal Migrants

Head of Border Police Resigns after Human Trafficking Suspect Wins Public Contract for Transportation of Illegal Migrants

Sofia, August 15 (BTA) - The Border Police Director has resigned after amid a scandal which flared up when it transpired that a human trafficking suspect had won a public procurement contract for transportation of illegal migrants. The resignation has already been approved by the Interior Minister and was announced by the Ministry a day after it said that it has ordered a probe into the matter.

Border Police Director Antonio Angelov is going together with Yotko Andreev who headed the public procurement procedure for the specific contract.

According to an investigation by Darik radio, the border police hired a van to transport illegal migrants for 195,580 leva VAT excluded. The year-long contract had been signed by Chief Commissioner Antonio Angelov on August 8.

While the procurement procedure was underway, the man transferred ownership of his company to his father but at the time the van was impounded by the police in Tsarevo and had been distrained by the court, the report said.

In an agreement with the prosecution office in Tsarevo, the man pleaded guilty to the human trafficking charges but later withdrew his guilty plea.

The prosecution in Tsarevo said the after the public procurement procedure, the man will be able to carry out human trafficking legally.