site.btaInterior Minister Discusses System's Reforms, Peevski Flights Controversy

Bulgaria's Interior Ministry is launching a structural reform that will include the closure of organizational units, the elimination of overlapping functions, and a comprehensive review of the ministry's structure, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told reporters on Sunday as the ministry celebrated 147 years since its establishment.

According to Demerdzhiev, the reform is intended to improve the efficiency of the ministry, optimize expenditure and reduce the administrative burden on operational personnel. He said that preparations for some of the measures are already under way.

Demerdzhiev announced that the ministry plans to abolish a unit attached to its political leadership, which he described as "an enormous and unjustified expense" that has resulted in the creation of senior management positions without genuine operational effectiveness.

He added that a number of other "exotic" structural units established over the years will also be abolished as part of the reform, arguing that they have distorted the ministry's structure.

According to the Interior Minister, the spawning of such units has led to duplicated functions and the inefficient use of human and financial resources. He stressed that, alongside the immediate changes, work has begun on a comprehensive strategy for restructuring the Interior Ministry to ensure it is equipped to meet modern challenges and operational requirements.

He said this would be a longer-term process running in parallel with the ministry's ongoing efforts to streamline its operations.

Demerdzhiev said the ministry's main priorities remain an uncompromising fight against corruption, drug trafficking, smuggling, the shadow economy and conventional crime, as well as strengthening efforts to improve road safety.

The Interior Minister also highlighted the need for closer coordination between the executive and legislative branches of power. He said that meetings had been held on Saturday at the invitation of Prime Minister Rumen Radev to improve cooperation between the institutions.

According to Demerdzhiev, communication with Members of Parliament has at times been hampered by the demanding workload of individual ministries, but efforts are under way to restore it. He added that the aim is to ensure that the legislature is kept better informed about the work of the executive.

Dwelling on a topic widely discussed over the last couple of days, Demerdzhiev said authorities are investigating the source of the funds used to pay for flights taken by Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Delyan Peevski, and looking into whether the prices paid corresponded to market rates.

According to Demerdzhiev, the investigation aims to establish whether the flights were financed with private funds or public resources and whether any violations were committed, including possible breaches of the sanctions imposed on Peevski under the US Global Magnitsky Act. He said the inquiry is examining possible sources of funding, with part of the investigation focusing on circumstances involving people close to Peevski.

In this context, the minister commented on claims of discrepancies between information held by different institutions, explaining that these stemmed from differences between various registries and the way information is recorded. According to him, investigators have identified cases involving differing entries and the deletion of records, which are also being examined. Demerdzhiev dismissed allegations that there are coordination problems between Interior Ministry structures, saying the investigation is continuing on all fronts. The Interior Minister responded to criticism from Constitutional Court Judge Desislava Atanasova, saying the investigation into the Peevski flights case is continuing and all relevant information will be clarified.

"There are no cracks in the chain of evidence. There are many more flights that match in terms of dates and passengers," Demerdzhiev added. According to him, the most important task is to establish whether a criminal offence has been committed. Demerdzhiev said the security services are acting on the reports received, and conducting the investigation in accordance with the law, with all the facts surrounding the case yet to be established.