The public statements of Mr. Grozdan Karadzhov (Minister of Transport and Communications) from the air of bTV from 05.10.2025 about the dismissal of 10 employees from the system of the ministry entrusted to him due to “alleged corrupt practices“ do not correspond to the truth. What's more - these statements do not correspond to what the minister himself advocated in his previous public statements. This is stated in an official position of Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the Company Trade Union Organization of the Trade Union "Pokrepa" in the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration“ under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, sent to the media.
The position continues as follows:
1. It is illegal to dismiss individuals due to “alleged“ (uninvestigated, unproven) corruption practices. If these practices are established in due course, they would not be “alleged“; and if they are not established (not indisputably proven), then the possible dismissal of someone because of them would be annulled by the Court as illegal.
2. In recent months, 2 employees have been dismissed from the system for corruption – after the attempt to blackmail drivers from Robbie Williams' team gained wide public notoriety, thanks to the intervention of the British Embassy; not thanks to some “full cooperation“ from the Bulgarian state administration.
3. The Bulgarian state administration (in the person of the political leadership of the MTS and in particular – of the IAAA) has for years refused to do what is obviously necessary to deal with widely known problems in the Automobile Administration – as if precisely to patronize corruption and to limit the Agency's ability to do its job:
– refusal to dismiss employees investigated for organized crime;
– appointment of directors completely alien to the system;
– unprincipled dismissal of impeccable employees;
– limitation of the operational autonomy of inspectors;
– refusal to appoint lawyers in the regional departments;
– keeping salaries at outrageously low levels.
4. The only 10 employees dismissed in recent months by the Agency have nothing to do with the corruption scandal with Robbie Williams' team, nor with any other corruption scandal; the only thing they have in common is that they work under employment contracts and are actively engaged in improving the work of the Agency, including through participation in union initiatives.
5. The attempt to suggest that these 10 employees were dismissed due to “alleged corrupt practices“ is a baseless lie – which cannot hide the systematic disinterest of the political leadership in MTS and IAAA in this Agency working legally; probably due to corruption interests (patronage of certain carriers) at the highest level.
6. The exaggerated statements of the Minister that he will “deal with corruption“ by disbanding the IAAA are precisely exaggerated: this Agency exists in compliance with European requirements and the Republic of Bulgaria cannot afford to disband this administrative unit; a more effective (and realistic) way of dealing with corruption will have to be sought.
In conclusion:
The corruption case with Robbie Williams' team only brings to the surface systemic problems that have not been worked out for a decade and reveal corrupt practices at the highest political level, in a series of successive governments. An ordinary road inspector would not dare “ask“ on his own initiative, if he "does not have a back" that guarantees him impunity against "peace fee" to certain superiors. But neither the efforts of the British Embassy (which made it impossible to "cover up" this case), nor the hollow requests for "full cooperation" (from the otherwise completely inactive political leadership in the system) can solve significant problems in Bulgarian society, requiring real, decisive and purposeful political will. The problem is not with ordinary employees. The fish stinks from the head.