"The police and the Ministry of Interior want to crush me. Yes, but it won't happen“. This was said in a video on social networks by Gergana Petrova, who was taken away by the police during Prime Minister Rumen Radev's visit to Strumyani. It appeared shortly after today's statements by Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev about her, Nova TV reported.
Earlier in the day, the minister stated that Petrova had been detained in the past in connection with a murder investigation. According to him, she was suspected of being the mastermind behind the brutal murder of the man with whom she lived as a conjugal partner. Demerdzhiev specified that the investigation into the case is ongoing. Petrova did not comment on his claim that she was a suspect in a murder investigation.
After Demerdzhiev's statement, she was categorical that she would not give up on the public causes she defends. “If you want to arrest me a second time, arrest me a third time, arrest me a tenth time, put me in prison, but I will continue to protect the people here, to film the illegal logging in Pirin and to remove the hated Blagoevgrad Water Supply and Sewerage Company from the Strumyani municipality, as I promised all the people here“, Petrova said.“
Petrova emotionally concluded her statement with the words: “This is my car - Levski, Yane and God protect me, do you understand?“.“.“
The Minister of the Interior commented on the case before her hearing in the parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order. Despite the information he provided about Petrova's previous contacts with law enforcement, Demerdzhiev admitted that the police's actions during the Prime Minister's visit to Strumyani were inadequate.
“There are gaps in the overall organization of the Prime Minister's visit to Strumyani. The regional director's place is in the field - he must personally lead his people. The police officers did not have body cameras. There were grounds to check the lady in question. This is not her first encounter with the police. Her behavior was strange, she did not have documents, but no detention was necessary. This is a wrong decision“, said the minister.
He also pointed out that the director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not report the case to him or the Secretary General. The Interior Ministry Inspectorate has been assigned a detailed inspection of the actions of the officers and the organization of the police operation.
According to Demerdzhiev, Petrova's previous contacts with the police gave reason for the officers to approach with increased caution, since she was near a person guarded by the National Security Service.
“The lady has had repeated contact with the police, and when such a person is near a person guarded by the National Security Service, it is normal to approach with caution, but despite this, the actions of the police officers on the spot and their leaders were not adequate“, said the Interior Minister.
Gergana Petrova was taken away by police officers on August 28 during Prime Minister Rumen Radev's visit to the flood-stricken municipality of Strumyani. The case raised questions about the actions of law enforcement agencies, and the Prime Minister ordered an investigation.
Demerdzhiev subsequently stated that there was no need to detain the woman, and described the decision of the officers on the spot as a mistake. The investigation by the Interior Ministry Inspectorate should establish both the actions of the specific police officers and possible shortcomings in the management and organization of the security.