“This is a huge tragedy and I express my condolences to the relatives of the deceased“. Thus, the co-chairman of the parliamentary group of “We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria“ Prof. Nikolay Denkov commented on the air of “Hello, Bulgaria“ the case of “Petrohan“.
According to him, there is a “fierce and cynical attack“ surrounding the tragedy, which has two goals – to hit the political formation before the elections and to divert attention from the institutions directly responsible for what happened in the last one or two years.
Denkov pointed out that in the last year it became clear about an investigation by the prosecutor's office, which was subsequently suspended. He also commented on the claims of journalist Viktor Ivanov from “24 Chasa“ that there is information about connections of some of the deceased with the State Security Service.
“I do not know the deceased from “Petrohan“, I have not seen them. None of the people around me, nor the leadership of “Continuing the Change“, know them“, said Denkov.
He emphasized that public trust in the investigation has been lost and that is why the PP–DB insists on including international experts from countries that Bulgarian citizens trust, such as Germany and France.
On the topic of the association associated with Ivaylo Kalushev, Denkov commented that the attack against Sandov is political. “Sandov is not part of “Continuing the Change“ – we parted ways with “Green Movement“ years ago. The attack is on the PP“, he said.
Regarding the criticism of the name of the association, which contains the word “national“, Denkov noted that there are about 100 organizations with similar names in Bulgaria. Therefore, the PP-DB is submitting a proposal for legislative changes that would limit the use of words such as “national“ and “European“ in the names of associations.
Regarding the school related to the case, Denkov explained that the license is issued based on documents and if there are violations, inspections are scheduled. He noted that in 2024, under another prime minister, the license was not only renewed, but also expanded. “This means that an inspection was carried out and no violations were found“, he said.
Denkov also criticized the acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, stating that in his opinion the scandal is being blown up before the elections in order to influence the vote.
Regarding the first report against the association, Denkov pointed out that it was filed with the Directorate of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, when Kalin Stoyanov was the head. The report was filed by the director of the regional directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Montana, who was later dismissed by Boyko Rashkov due to a weapon permit given to a criminal person, and was subsequently returned to his post by Kalin Stoyanov.
“The versions that were released into the public domain are not logical. "We must come out and tell the truth," Denkov was categorical.
In connection with the political situation, Denkov stressed that it is extremely important for the public to have trust in the caretaker prime minister. According to him, the prime minister, with the consent of the president, must determine the composition of the caretaker cabinet.
He stated that Boyko Rashkov was the only interior minister who managed to significantly reduce controlled and bought votes in the risky sections.
Denkov specified that he had not discussed ministerial posts with Andrey Gyurov. "I respect him a lot, but when he went to the BNB, he left "We Continue the Change" and is not a political figure," he added.
Regarding the sociological surveys, Denkov noted that there was a decline in support for GERB, which, according to him, was expected. He pointed out that according to research data, a significant part of the party's supporters have not given a clear answer as to whether a decisive fight against corruption should be waged.
Denkov also commented on the attitudes towards the issue of Bulgaria's possible exit from the EU, stating that according to surveys, the majority of Bulgarians are against such a step, while Radev's supporters are "for".
"We can vote together with President Radev and the people around him, if there is really a will for a real fight against corruption," concluded Nikolay Denkov.