Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the action in Sungurlare as a sign that the investigation into public procurement in the municipality is starting to progress. At a meeting of the Council of Ministers, he stated that for the first time in a long time, prosecutors at the district level have stood “on the side of justice“.
“Sungurlare is hardly the center of corruption. Finally, worthy and courageous Bulgarian prosecutors at the district level have been found“, said Radev. According to him, the actions contributed to the individuals involved starting to speak out.
The action was held on Tuesday in Sungurlare. According to Nova TV, actions were taken in the municipal administration to investigate public procurement, documents were seized, and Mayor Dimitar Gavazov was taken in for questioning. It is being checked whether the agreed and reported activities correspond to what was actually done and the funds paid.
There is a discrepancy in the publicly disseminated information about Gavazov's status. NOVA reported that he was taken in for questioning, while bTV reported his detention, citing its sources in the Ministry of Interior. BNR quoted the mayor, according to whom he was absent from the municipality during the initial inspection, and the operation ended without arrests. At the moment, there is no publicly announced data on charges filed.
Radev expects the investigation to continue
“The scheme is starting to unravel and I expect this to be just the beginning“, the prime minister said. He said that the government will not exceed its powers, will respect the separation of powers and will act “entirely within the framework of the law“.
Radev added that law enforcement agencies must reach “the top of the oligarchic pyramid“. In his speech, he also made political criticisms of Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borisov, stating that they are losing influence over public procurement and financial flows. These are assessments and statements by the prime minister, for which the material does not present answers from the two politicians.
The investigation in Sungurlare continues, and the next actions depend on the collected documents and the assessment of the competent authorities whether there are grounds for filing charges.