site.btaPrime Minister Denkov Says He Will Report Pressure Exerted on Interior Ministry Secretary General Kotsev

Outgoing Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov told the Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday that he will send a report about the pressure exerted for the resignation of Interior Ministry Secretary General Zhivko Kotsev. Last week, Kotsev submitted his resignation and subsequently withdrew it. 

"I would not like to retell his meetings. What I am saying is that there was certainly pressure put on him, both by the [Interior] Minister and by top officials in the Prosecution Office, and this pressure should be investigated," Denkov added. President Rumen Radev has also been informed about the pressure, he added. 

Denkov described the case as "comical". 

"To claim that this is a personal benefit for Zhivko Kotsev, who receives the watch in a public place where he is photographed together with Ms Angelkova, a GERB MP, means that Kotsev had no worries at all that something wrong is happening," the outgoing Prime Minister commented, then added that Kotsev stated that the watch in question was received as a gift from friends in connection with a personal celebration. "The suggestion that there is some problem with this watch seems absolutely artificial," he noted. 

Denkov also said that the press centre of the Interior Ministry did not allow Kotsev's participation in a TV show. 

Denkov questioned how it happened that the director of the Customs Agency, who had been in this position for a month, suddenly turned out to be the only one investigated for smuggling channels that had existed for years. "I did not see any evidence that she had any receipt of benefits and anything to indicate that she was part of carrying out any criminal intent," he added and asked where the evidence from previous years was.

"I have said many times that there is a blind spot in the services in terms of corruption and smuggling," he said. Denkov described what is happening at the Customs Agency as "the scandal of the year". 

"I hope the court does its job, I don't want to tolerate corruption in any way, but what I also do not want is innocent people falling victim to political infighting," he added. 

Regarding Georgi Gvozdeykov's decision to remain in cabinet as caretaker transport minister, Denkov recalled that he, unlike the other ministers in the caretaker cabinet, is a Continue the Change member. In Denkov's words, according to the party's statute, he cannot participate in a caretaker government without the consent of the governing bodies. Under this point, he has an internal party problem, the outgoing Prime Minister said.