The former chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhivko Kotsev, left the building of the Anti-corruption Commission on Wednesday with an accusation.
He was brought in as a defendant for participation in an organized criminal group, part of which are the former head of the "Customs" Agency Petya Bankova, Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi and in absentia - Nikola Nikolov, nicknamed Pascal. In addition, he was imposed a cash guarantee of BGN 20,000.
In the late afternoon on Wednesday, Kotsev decided to remain completely silent after spending over three hours in the Anti-corruption Commission building. His lawyers Daniela Dokovska and Iliyan Vasilev referred all media questions to the prosecutor's office.
"It is a matter of time to prove our claims that Mr. Kotsev has committed absolutely no crime," said lawyer Vasilev.
BGNES reminds that the name of Zhivko Kotsev was involved in contacts with smuggling channels. Photos of him in the company of smugglers were circulated online. His name appeared in information related to Nikolay Nikolov-Paskal, the former director of customs Petya Bankova and Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi.
In the intervening weeks and days, Kotsev first tendered his resignation, but two days later withdrew it, saying he had acted under pressure. Under the pressure of Minister Kalin Stoyanov, acting Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov, the head of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office Iliyana Kirilova, her deputy Hristo Krastev, as well as the head of Anti-corruption Commission Anton Slavchev.
Denkov referred the ad hoc prosecutor for the investigation of the chief prosecutor - Daniela Taleva. After that, the head of the Criminal Board of the Supreme Court of Justice ordered that the file, created on the signal of the resigned Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov, be handed over for examination under the competence of the prosecutor for the investigation of crimes committed by the chief prosecutor or deputy chief prosecutor.
Kalin Stoyanov remains the head of the Ministry of Interior as part of the "Glavchev" caretaker government.
On April 10, President Rumen Radev signed a decree terminating the powers and dismissal of the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. Thus, Dimitar Kangaldzhiev was temporarily appointed in Kotsev's place. /BGNES
