The District Prosecutor's Office in Veliko Tarnovo is conducting a large-scale investigation into illegal wiretapping of employees in the Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality building. Among the main persons questioned so far in the case is the mayor of the municipality, Nikolay Rashkov, reports Nova TV.
The investigation was initiated based on a report filed several months ago by employees of the municipal administration who discovered listening devices (“beetles“) installed in their offices.
Over 50 witnesses have been questioned in the pre-trial proceedings. The investigation is being conducted by the Veliko Tarnovo District Investigation Service and is under the jurisdiction of the District Prosecutor's Office.
So far, dozens have been questioned as witnesses, including leading figures and employees of the municipal administration. The main goal of the investigators is to establish who installed the devices and on whose orders; when and how access to the offices was provided, as well as for what purpose the information was collected.
The case is being conducted against an unknown perpetrator and no one has yet been officially charged.
Dismissals in the form of “staff optimization“
The case is gaining additional tension due to the subsequent personnel changes in the institution. The employees who discovered the listening devices and reported the signal are no longer part of the municipality's team. They left their positions “by mutual consent“. The municipal leadership has put forward “staff optimization“ as an official argument.
The case has caused serious repercussions and dissatisfaction among those working in the municipal administration.
From the District Prosecutor's Office – Veliko Tarnovo confirmed that the procedural and investigative actions continue intensively and all circumstances surrounding the illegal SRC wiretapping in the local administration are being clarified.
Anyone who, without proper permission, which is required by law, uses, sells or possesses special technical products intended for covert collection of information, is punished with imprisonment from one to six years.