A sharp verbal conflict between the director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Gabrovo Iliyan Ivanov and his deputy Tsvetan Petkov occurred in the building of the directorate, Nova TV reported.
The dispute escalated to screams and shouts in the lobby of the police directorate. The intervention of a police patrol on duty was necessary, and later officers of the “Internal Security“ at the Ministry of Interior also arrived on the scene.
According to unconfirmed information, tests for the use of narcotic substances were requested. It is also alleged that the director Iliyan Ivanov insisted that his deputy be detained.
The case was reported at a high level in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and according to those familiar with it, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev was also informed.
At the moment, the specific reasons for the conflict are not known, as well as whether disciplinary or other actions will follow against the participants.
The press center of the Directorate of Internal Affairs - Gabrovo confirmed that there was a similar situation and that a dispute arose between the two leaders. However, they did not provide further details. It was categorically denied that it came to a physical altercation or fight.
Later today it became clear that the inspection of the Directorate “Internal Security“ to the Ministry of Interior on the case of the conflict between the top leaders in the ODMVR-Gabrovo has officially ended, and its results have been submitted to the Gabrovo District Prosecutor's Office under its jurisdiction. At this time, however, no such case has been reported and it remains pending, said the prosecutor's office spokesperson Plamena Dicheva.
The Gabrovo District Prosecutor's Office also specifies that the only document the state prosecution has so far is a complaint filed directly by the deputy director Tsvetan Petkov against the director of the ODMVR-Gabrovo Iliyan Ivanov.
The prosecutor on duty assigned to the complaint has recused himself, as he personally knew both senior police officers. A new supervising prosecutor is expected to be appointed to take over the case after the official submission of the findings by the Ministry of Interior, which will happen on Monday at the earliest.