“There is a big difference between the truth and speculation“, commented Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev on his official Facebook profile.
His statement comes in response to accusations from the DPS, after the National Revenue Agency (NRA) conducted and announced the results of a thorough audit of his property status.
According to the minister, his political opponents are showing extreme cynicism, trying to manipulate the issue of his property. “The cynicism of the MRF to comment on my property and income ends where the facts presented by the NRA begin: ZERO leva discrepancies, no tax liabilities and a significant excess of legal revenues over expenses“, Demerdzhiev was categorical, quoted in the news exchange of the Bulgarian National Radio (https://bnrnews.bg). He explicitly emphasized that in his entire life he has not received a single leva from public funds.
The conflict escalated hours earlier when representatives of the MRF, including MP Hamid Hamid, came out with claims that the Minister of the Interior had panicked because of the audit. Information from Darik News (https://dariknews.bg), however, confirms that tax audits did not reveal any legal violations in the minister's personal finances and assets, and the origin of all his funds has been fully proven.
Demerdzhiev was categorical that the attacks would not sway him: “The big question that the status quo is running away from is how in Bulgaria one enters politics with an empty pocket, and exits with hundreds of millions in one year. Their panic shows that I am on the right track“, added the minister, also quoted by Nova TV (https://nova.bg).