The moment the report of the parliamentary committee examining the contract with Botas is adopted, I am ready to file a lawsuit against the state in Strasbourg for political persecution. This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by former Energy Minister Rosen Hristov.
"The National Assembly has neither the competences nor the authority to investigate and analyze such a contract without using experts. Political attacks are being made. I take them personally. I will sue everyone who speaks out on the issue, mentions my name and has signed the report. For each conclusion, I will demand an explanation based on what data and expertise it was made".
The conclusion in the report of the parliamentary temporary committee examining the agreement is that "Bulgargaz" was harmed by the contract with the Turkish state energy company "Botas", signed at the beginning of last year.
The commission has prepared a report that will be submitted to parliament next week.
"Our proposal, which we wrote down in the decision that should be taken next week in the hall, is that the entire decision and this report should go to the Prosecutor's Office and DANS," said Radoslav Ribarski.
"Every day, the Bulgarian energy sector, and in particular "Bulgargaz", must pay for a capacity that is equal to $500,000. However, this capacity is not being used. For example, in 2023, out of a possible 14 ships to be delivered, one and a half were used. Although we do not use this capacity, we pay these fees every day for the full volume that the caretaker government and Minister Rosen Hristov agreed upon. These things, the committee has been meeting for three months, are not in the report at all. The report is already ready and should be in the hall next week", he commented.
Another member of the parliamentary committee, Borislav Gutsanov from the BSP, commented that this is a shameful and grave contract for Bulgaria. He added that the acting Minister of Energy, Rosen Hristov, did not have the right to sign the contract, since it was not coordinated with the Council of Ministers and was signed by only eight ministers. According to Gutsanov, the contract can be very difficult to cancel, since it is worth over 2.2 billion euros, but it can be renegotiated.
"One such detail that will probably interest you is that the transmission service fee for "Botas" is 9 dollars and 10 for transmission, while with Greece it is 5.4 euros. How do you think? There is a difference twice for the same thing that is being done. Who negotiated these conditions and why have these people not yet been held accountable?", asked Gutsanov.
Because of this contract, the BSP will demand the dismissal of the directors of "Bulgargaz".
The contract is deliberately not being used so that it can be attacked, said Hristov.
"This covers up the entire inaction of the government in the energy sector and is a political attack against the president.".
The penalty clause exists in absolutely every contract in the energy sector, he emphasized.
"This is presented as something unusual at the moment. Why don't they want to hire an independent expert with international experience and make an assessment? To say whether the prices and conditions are market-based. The comments are made by politicians who have never signed such a contract, have nothing to do with the energy sector, and have not even held management positions in an international company.