The authorities don’t elaborate on the accusations, however native media say the EU probes are about ‘misuse of EU support’.
Bulgaria’s former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has been detained in a nationwide police operation following investigations by the European Union prosecutor’s workplace.
The nation’s inside ministry mentioned Borissov was taken into custody on Thursday night for twenty-four hours. It didn’t elaborate on the accusations towards him.
“A big-scale legislation enforcement operation is underneath method in reference to 120 instances of the European Public Prosecutor’s Workplace in Bulgaria,” in keeping with a ministry press launch.
“No one is above the legislation,” present Prime Minister Kiril Petkov wrote in a Fb submit.
Borissov, 62, was detained together with different members of his opposition centre-right GERB occasion, amongst them an ex-finance minister, a former head of the parliamentary budgetary fee and Borissov’s media adviser.
Police declined to touch upon the motives behind the arrests, however native media mentioned the instances have been concerning the “misuse of EU support”.
Media reported about searches and seizures by police in numerous cities throughout the nation.
EU probes
The police raids got here after a two-day go to to Sofia by European Chief Prosecutor Laura Koevesi.
“European prosecutors have opened 120 investigations of fraud (in Bulgaria) involving EU cash associated to public tenders, agricultural subsidies, building, and coronavirus restoration funds,” Koevesi mentioned on the finish of her go to on Thursday.
“Now could be the time for the related Bulgarian authorities to crew up with us, together with on notably delicate instances,” she added.
A former three-time prime minister, Borissov resigned after a newly-formed occasion gained final 12 months’s basic elections pledging to uproot widespread corruption.
Borissov himself has a number of instances been the thing of corruption allegations throughout his decade-long tenure however has denied any wrongdoing and no costs have been pressed towards him.
Bulgaria, a member of the EU and NATO, has additionally come underneath scrutiny from its Western companions as a consequence of its longstanding issues with corruption, adhering to the rule of legislation and preserving freedom of the media.