"I am convinced that we did 100% correctly, because this is what the law requires of me and this is what my conscience requires. I do not regret this decision that I made, because I know that I do not participate in schemes. I refused. I refused an attempt to be corrupt and I live with peace within myself and with a clear conscience", said the mayor of the "Lyulin" district. Georgi Todorov on the show "The Day Begins".
This is not a scandal, a tremor or another puff of smoke, but we are talking about facts about the truth, he explained.
And he added that this is "a sign of a very serious problem in a party, which problem affects the entire political space".
"Whether a crime has actually been committed or not is up to the court and the prosecutor's office to decide. I have what I have heard as information and documents... The Anti-Corruption Commission entered my district and took what is necessary and relevant to the pre-trial proceedings. Everything I say is facts, backed up by evidence. I cannot afford to go out and say things in public that I cannot prove later".
The mayor of "Lyulin" expressed hope that the prosecutor's office will do its job. He said that he was aware that there were problems there too, but refused to make political statements on the subject. But when a person encounters corruption - this is already a "model" that he has encountered.
"Ms. Rositsa Pandova, who was introduced to me as a personal friend of Kiril Petkov. He personally vouched for her. She tried to bribe me with 5,000 leva. The case was hushed up after I shared it with Mr. Petkov. What's more - she was promoted to a member of the board of the 5th city hospital. This is the first case. The second case is already the development along Mr. Barbutov's lines. The opinion is being circulated in the media that this was not a crime, but simply talking, describing a scheme. Understand - all district mayors depend on Barbutov's signature, projects worth millions depend on it.
Georgi Todorov said that he works according to the rules, entirely according to the letter of the law.
"My respects to all colleagues, but we rely on and have accepted it because that is how it was presented to us - as good expertise. But it turned out that there is no free lunch. It turned out that this is a model that has been repeated in the two largest districts in Sofia".
We have received information that this scheme has "ended in other districts of Sofia". Todorov called on Mayor Terziev to audit all public procurement in all districts of Sofia. He was categorical that he was not worried about inspections. According to him, Kiril Petkov stated to another mayor of the capital, Kuzmov, that Rositsa Pandova should be given a second chance. Why didn't the entire leadership of "We Continue the Change" come out and tell the whole truth, he asked.
He said about Lena Borislavova that "she was the political link between "We Continue the Change" and the Sofia Municipality".
"She is a member of parliament, but internally she deals with the coordination at the political level between the party and the political representation of the PP in Sofia".
Petkov resigned because he knew that what I told him a month and a half ago was true, Todorov said.
"My fear is that the truth is not being told to the end and that attempts are being made with mudslinging and compromising attacks against me and my colleague Kukurin and the other colleagues in order to hide the truth. I will not participate in this. And I will follow the truth until it comes out to the end".