Former Prime Minister Borissov upon release from custody: I might be killed next time (update)

GERB party leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was released from custody minutes before 8.30 pm this evening, March 18.

Brutal, nasty, they took us back to communism, Borissov said . Last night while we were having dinner with the children – plain-clothes officials, civilians arrived and searched the whole house, Borissov said immediately after leaving custody. They found nothing, we signed a protocol that nothing was found during the search and I thought they were leaving. But they said they had to detain me. And took me to custody, he added.

For 24 hours we sat in the cells, not a single police officer appeared... Just like things in 1944: The Prime Minister appears, he calls the police, he appears as a witness for the mafia, for the Skull (referring to the nickname of businessman Vassil Bozhkov), they start writing and he tells them - go and take them away because they can hide evidence. That's why they called us in December. They came, they checked. We stayed in custody for 24 hours, we caught cold,” Borisov explained.

I am worried that next time they might kill me, the GERB leader said.

Severe political repression, absolutely illegal actions, Borissov's lawyer Menko Menkov explained.

He told reporters that no charges had been filed.

The lawyer listed a number of, to his words, committed violations of the law by the police authorities. He explained that the detention was a measure of last resort that was not necessary. Until 7.30 p.m. last night, the police did not know where they were going and whom they were going to search, lawyer Menkov explained.

GERB members and supporters gathered in front of the building of the General Directorate of National Police, chanting "resignation" and shouting slogans against Minister of Interior, Boyko Rashkov.

According to unofficial information, earlier questioning of Boyko Borissov, former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov and GERB's PR Sevdelina Arnaudova was held.

Former Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borissov is being investigated for blackmailing gambling businessman Vassil Bozhkov (who is currently residing in Dubai and is facing a number of charges in Bulgaria.)

He was detained last night and spent the night and day in the custody of the capital's 7th police station. Minister of Interior, Boyko Rashkov, refused to comment on the detention.

The Prosecutor's Office denied the initial announcement by the Ministry of Interior that the investigation against Borissov, Goranov and Sevdelina Arnaudova was over EU projects. The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office said it had received documents from the National Police and the investigation had been assigned to prosecutor Maria Neycheva.

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After Borissov and the other two were released, Deputy Sofia City Prosecutors Dessislava Petrova and Ivo Iliev said during a press conference that on the morning of March 18, after 10.00 am, Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office had been notified by police that they had initiated pre-trial proceedings for extortion. According to the notification, it was initiated in a condition of urgency.

The notice was sent by fax and said that in connection with these proceedings, Borissov, Arnaudova and Goranov had been taken into custody.

Petrova said that six witnesses had been questioned previously in connection with these allegations, including current Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. He told about his meeting with Laura Kovesi, regarding the public allegations of gambling businessman Vassil Bozhkov that he was blackmailed by Borissov, Goranov and Arnaudova.

Bozhkov had not been questioned in connection with the case, she said. Petrova explained that the case had not been reported in its entirely and Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office had received additional materials, the relevance of which would be subject of further analysis.

They are mainly related to photographic material from media publications. The detention orders of the three persons were requested, they were received at 20.30 and it is evident from them that the three persons had already been released from custody. No arrest warrants have been reported to the Sofia city Prosecutor's Office. Possible pressing of charges at that moment would be in violation of the law, Desislava Petrova said.

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Once considered to be the wealthiest Bulgarian person, Vassil Bozhkov lost his gambling business in early 2020 when Parliament passed the amendments to the Gambling Act thus banning lottery games organised by private operators.

On January 29, 2020, the Prosecutor’s Office pressed charges against gambling businessman Vassil Bozhkov on seven counts and then in February charged him with more, thus the criminal charges against him adding up to 18. He has been charged with evasion of more than 700 million BGN in gambling licensing fees, money laundering, extortion, bribery, murder, abetting in murder, attempted rape, leading an organized crime group, trading in influence, and unlawful possession of cultural assets. The businessman left the country prior to completion of the inquiries and is now in the United Arab Emirates, from where Bulgaria is seeking his extradition.