site.btaProsecutors Indict Senior Police Chief, Government Speaks of Risk for All-out War of Institutions

Sofia, June 2 (BTA) - Shortly after the prosecution service
charged a senior police chief with being part of an organized
crime group, the spokesperson of the caretaker government said
that the prosecutors' interference in the work of the Interior
Ministry threatened to develop into open warfare between the
institutions.

"In a period of a caretaker government, when the legislature is
not in operation, we are witnessing attempts of the prosecution
service to openly meddle in the work of the Executive," said the
 government spokesperson, Anton Koutev, in a comment for the
press.

The chief of the Cultural and Historical Values Sector at the
National Police Service, Angel Palalezov, has been charged with
participating in a criminal group for trafficking cultural and
historical valuables and money laundering. Searches permitted by
 the Specialized Court on June 1 were conducted later in the day
 at Palalezov's home and office.

News of the searches preceded the prosecution service'
announcement, in an interview with caretaker Interior Minister
Boyko Rashkov for the investigative website bird.bg. He said
that prosecutors have entered the Interior Ministry and are
conducting searches in a bid to hinder a probe about the illegal
 wiretapping of opposition politicians before the April 4, 2021
elections. A day before he was charged, Palalezov was included
in a team probing the illegal wiretapping allegations.

Rashkov said the prosecution service is openly meddling in
Interior Ministry work. Personal frisks and searches are
underway of the offices of the staff who are probing the
wiretapping. The prosecuting magistracy has requested
information about the new head of the State Agency for National
Security (SANS) and has summoned for questioning the new head of
 the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (CDCOC).
"The aim is to intimidate the new appointments of the caretaker
cabinet and foil the probe into the illegal wiretapping," he
said. "Someone is trying to cover the traces of the [illegal]
wiretapping, the shredders are red-hot," Rashkov argued
reiterating what he had previously said, that documents of the
illegal wiretapping are being destroyed.

He accused the prosecuting magistrcy of serving the interests of
 former prime minister Boyko Borissov and his party, GERB. "As
Borissov cannot practically exercise any influence, the
prosecution service is taking his place in the political
struggle in Bulgaria. It will do what Borissov and GERB cannot
do effectively," Rashkov argued.

Prosecution Service: Untrue Aassertions by a Political Person

Commenting for BTA, Prosecutor General spokesperson Siyka Mileva
 described Rashkov's words as ''untrue assertions made by a
political person in pre-election conditions''. "The prosecution
service cannot stop working just because someone does not like
it,'' she added.

She said further that the state prosecution applies the law
strictly and expects cooperation from all law-enforcement
authorities in the fight against crime.

In another development, Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev and the
new head of CDCOC, Kalin Stoyanov, met to discuss further joint
action against money laundering, organized crime and the fight
against terrorism. Before that, Geshev also met with SANS head
Plamen Tonchev, the prosecution service said.

Government: We Are Concerned by Attempts to Intimidate Key
Security Service Officers

The government spokesperson said that the caretaker cabinet
"supports all efforts to prosecute the perpetrators according to
 law, but is concerned by the attempts to intimidate key
security service officers, as well as to delay or stop checks in
 the system of interior affairs".

The government calls of all institutions to be reasonable and
work solely in the name of elevating statehood and the rule of
law in Bulgaria, Koutev said.

Democratic Bulgaria: Go out and Protest to Support Democracy

Democratic Bulgaria (DB), one of the newcomers in the
short-lived 45th National Assembly which has been particularly
vocal in its calls for reforming the prosecution service, called
 on security service officers to speak out and on Bulgarian
people to join a protest against corruption on Wednesday
evening.

DB co-leaders Hristo Ivanov and Atanas Atanassov posted a video
on Facebook from outside the Palace of Justice, where Prosecutor
 General Ivan Geshev has his office, to say that a large-scale
operation is underway for intimidating the people in the
security services who are probing the allegations for
wiretapping of opposition politicians. This operation will be
masked as actions against exiled gambling mogul Vassil Bojkov,
said Ivanov. "We are not going to buy into this because we have
nothing to do with Bojkov but have to do everything with
democracy and we will defend it," he said.

According to media reports, the chief of the Cultural and
Historical Values Sector at the National Police Service has been
 charged with belonging to a criminal group headed by Vassil
Bojkov.

DB urged security service officers "who have had enough" not to
give in to fear, to come out and speak out about abuse of power.
The formation called on people to join a protest outside the
Palace of Justice against the Prosecutor General and the
outgoing establishment on Wednesday evening. Atanassov said:
"Only a large-scale protest will put these people where they
belong. Support democracy!"

In the meantime, the Palace of Justice was filled with
protesting people who demanded Prosecutor General Geshev's
resignation. Supporters of former ombudsman Maya Manolova's Rise
 Up! Thugs Out! party stood in front of his office and chanted
"Mafia out!", "Geshev - shame!". Arman Babikyan, a former MP for
 that political formation, was among those who initiated the
action.

***

Later on Wednesday, the prosecution service said that Prosecutor
 General Ivan Geshev has invited caretaker Interior Minister
Boyko Rashkov to a working meeting.

Geshev's letter reads that from May 25 to 28, Sofia hosted an
international conference on euro protection in Bulgaria,
Southeastern Europe and the Balkans, and the achievements of and
 challenges to law enforcers. The caretaker Interior Minister
was invited to attend but he declined due to a professional
engagement.

"In view of the need to continue the interaction between the
Executive and the Judiciary, particularly the Bulgarian
prosecution service and the Interior Ministry, I would be
delighted to hold a working meeting with you," Geshev's letter
to the Interior Minister reads. The Prosecutor General expresses
 certainty that "only through the joint efforts of the separate
powers can the results desired by the Bulgarian citizens be
achieved, particularly the effective countering of crime."
  
LN, NV/BR, DS