Not only political, but also criminal liability should be sought for the conclusion of the unprofitable contract with the Turkish company "Botas". This was stated in "Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov" by Radoslav Ribarski, deputy chairman of the Energy Committee from "We Continue the Change". He also commented on the tragedy on the Southern Black Sea coast, defining it as yet another example of the institutions' unpreparedness. Ribarski supported the suspension of Russian gas transit through Bulgaria and explained why the PP-DB will not propose a tax increase in the new budget.
Water disaster floods the Southern Black Sea Coast
On the occasion of the flood on the Southern Black Sea Coast, Radoslav Ribarski expressed condolences to the relatives of the deceased. According to him, although the rainfall is a natural disaster, the tragedy could have been avoided.
"Once again, we find ourselves unprepared. Even when this happened in Tsarevo, the Council of Ministers during Denkov's time allocated 43 million leva, which should have been used to clean up ravines and prevent this tragedy from happening again," he recalled. Ribarski also drew a parallel with forest fires, emphasizing that the funds under the Operational Program "Environment" are not being used effectively for prevention. "There is money and no one understands where this money is going", the MP added.
Bulgaria to stop supplies of Russian gas to Hungary and Slovakia
Asked if he supports the government's readiness to stop the transit of Russian gas to EU countries, Ribarski was categorical.
"There is no way we can continue to buy Russian gas after Russia, the Russian Federation, declared the entire European Union and the countries within it to be enemy states. We will support a complete stop," he said. Ribarski recalled that the European Commission has given clear guidelines for terminating short-term contracts by 2026 and all supplies by 2028. He added that the PP-DB has also proposed imposing an energy contribution on these supplies.
Is the contract with "Botaş" an energy trap?
Ribarski's position was most sharp regarding the contract with the Turkish company "Botaş", concluded by Rumen Radev's office.
"In addition to political responsibility, we have clearly stated who participated in the signing, who participated in the negotiation of this agreement. However, in addition to political responsibility, criminal responsibility must also be sought," he insisted. The MP recalled that the report from the temporary committee in parliament on the case was sent to the National Security Agency and the prosecutor's office, but a year and a half later there has been no reaction. "The signatures of Rosen Hristov, the then director of "Bulgargaz", and the current director of "Bulgartransgaz" have been attached. This is a tripartite agreement. We know who appointed the cabinet – President Radev, who continues to defend the meaning of this contract", Ribarski also said.
Major state projects and the future of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia"
Radoslav Ribarski supported the idea of the capital's mayor Vasil Terziev for a concession of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" as "the only possible solution at the moment" to deal with the company's huge debt.