site.btaHigh-profile Money Laundering Case Possibly Involving ex-PM Borissov Goes to Another Supervising Prosecutor

A high-profile money laundering case popularly known as "Barcelonagate" has been sent back to the Sofia City Prosecution Service after a check by the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Service, as the supervising prosecutor has been removed and it has been taken over by another one, Sofia City Chief Prosecutor Iliana Kirilova said Monday.

Barcelonagate is investigating the possible involvement of GERB leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov with a criminal group for money laundering.

Iliana Kirilova  said that the new supervising prosecutor is yet to see the materials on the case and decide whether there is enough evidence to seek removal of the MP immunity of Borissov. It also remains to be decided what further steps need to be taken on the case and whether more evidence is needed.

On June 2, 2023, then Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev moved for scrapping Borissov's immunity. On July 6, the former Prime Minister gave up his immunity to allow further investigation on the case. On July 18, the prosecution service said that a check had established that the supervising prosecutor allowed shoddy work on the case.

Barcelonagate

In late 2019, the Barcelona-based El Periodico daily published an article saying that the Catalan police and the anti-corruption prosecution office in Madrid were investigating a potential involvement of Bulgarian Prime Minister Borissov in international money laundering, with Barcelona as the final destination. The investigation was launched after the Catalan police found "indications of truth" in an alert submitted by the Bulgarian civil association BOEC in March 2019. The subject of the active investigation was Borislava Yovcheva, a Bulgarian former model found to be living in a luxury house in Barcelona registered with one out of two companies that had received EUR 5 million since 2013 from natural persons outside of Spain. A potential connection between Yovcheva and Borissov was under scrutiny, El Periodico wrote. 

Borissov has repeatedly denied these allegations.

The Bulgarian prosecution service opened a check but nothing came out – until an apparent rift between Borissov and former Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev prompted the prosecution service to step up work on the case earlier in 2023.