More reshuffles in the management of Bulgaria’s security services

More reshuffles in the management of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the Ministry of Interior took place. The current director of the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, Lyubomir Yanev, has been replaced, the press office of the Ministry of Interior announced on May 31.

Yanev was re-appointed in the unit that assists the minister in the fight against buying and selling of votes, where the former head of the Internal Security Directorate was reappointed.

Kalin Stoyanov is temporarily appointed as Director of the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime. So far, he has headed the anti-mafia special operations department.

SANS Deputy Chairman Nedyalko Nedyalkov was also dismissed from his post. He claims to have learned of his dismissal from his colleagues.

It was Nedyalkov who two years ago signed the document for the withdrawal of the access to classified information of the current caretaker Minister of Interior, Boyko Rashkov.

Nedyalkov told about a conversation with caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of interior, Boyko Rashkov, from the first days of the term in office of the caretaker cabinet.

The main questions that I was asked during this conversation were about detailed information that we need to prepare and report on the spy case. Mr. Rashkov turned to me and asked why I do not withdraw the Prosecutor General’s access to classified information. This was followed by additional other questions, which obviously show the fixation, in a negative aspect, by the caretaker Minister of Interior Rashkov on the Prosecutor's office and in particular on the chief prosecutor.

Nedyalko Nedyalkov was born in 1971 in Sofia. He has a master's degree from the University of National and World Economy, in Marketing and Management. In 2002, he was appointed to work in the National Security Service - Ministry of Interior, and in 2008 he was reappointed to the newly established State Agency for National Security (SANS).

His career goes through all levels of the service hierarchy. Until his appointment to the post of Deputy Chairman of SANS, he was a Director of a Directorate in SANS. He had received awards for excellent performance of his professional duties. He speaks English.

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Bulgaria’s caretaker Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Boyko Rashkov was stripped off access to classified information for a period of 3 years, the Chairman of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) Dimitar Georgiev announced on May 26. Earlier that day, the caretaker cabinet proposed to President Radev to release Dimitar Georgiev from the post of Chairman of SANS.

According to Dimitar Georgiev, Boyko Rashkov was stripped off access to classified information two years ago and the decision was not contested.

Georgiev also said that the real reason for his dismissal from the post is that SANS uncovered the Russian spy network in Bulgaria.

He added that he did not accept the motive "undermining the prestige of the agency", He stressed that he headed the agency during the term of office of several governments. According to him, the actions of SANS were only within the law and in defence of national security. He stressed that the Bulgarian counterintelligence is fully trusted by the services of the Euro-Atlantic community. According to him, the real motive for his dismissal from office was the operations of SANS, which have revealed the Russian spy network in Bulgaria.