National Customs Agency Director General Petya Bankova has been detained for 72 hours, the Bulgarian news agency BTA has reported.
Bankova’s lawyer Adelina Natina told reporters that her client had been charged with participation in an organized criminal group for trading in influence, contraband, bribery, together with three other people whom she does not know. Adelina Natina stated, that in an informal conversation, employees of the counter-corruption commission told her that the home of Zhivko Kotsev, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, had been searched. Earlier today, Zhivko Kotsev submitted his resignation. Natina also showed the decision by the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office with the charges against Petya Bankova. The other people who have been charged are Stefan Dimitrov, Marin Dimitrov and Nikola Nikolov, while Bankova’s deputy Lyudmil Marinov has been released. Lawyer Adelina Natina stated further that Bankova does not know the other people who have been charged with participation in a criminal group and added the prosecutor’s office could demand that the court issue a pre-trial detention order for Bankova. Adelina Natina confirmed that ten people had been arrested during yesterday’s operation, but that charges have only been leveled against four of them.
The second group of 60 Bulgarians who wanted to leave Lebanon has taken off from Beirut to Sofia onboard the governmental Airbus. The plane is expected to land in Sofia after 7 pm. The second group of Bulgarians is ready for evacuation from..
The interest of young Bulgarians in studying abroad has risen sharply , with a 30% increase compared to last year. In addition, the number of students leaving for the academic year 2024-2025 has increased by about 11%. This is what Kristina Bozhilova,..
Our most important task at the moment is to ensure the safe return of all Bulgarian citizens who wish to be evacuated from Lebanon, President Rumen Radev told journalists in Burgas. Noting that the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East had..
A State Aviation Operator crew is standing by to fly to Lebanon as soon as the phased evacuation of the Bulgarians there is given a green light. This..
Bulgaria has begun evacuating our fellow citizens who expressed a desire to leave Beirut following Israel's attacks on Lebanon. Some of the Bulgarians..
The speculations of a rise in the price of sunflower oil in the coming months due to the poor harvest in the country will not come to pass, Vladimir..
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy