site.btaThere Is Such a People Urges President to Demand Interior Minister's Resignation

On Thursday, the MPs of There Is Such a People (TISP) called on President Iliana Iotova to demand the resignation of caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev. Yordanov said Iotova should prove she was worthy of the office she is holding and dismiss Dechev.

The declaration, read by TISP Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov, cited concerns over Dechev's handling of the Petrohan-Okolchitsa case - a high-profile criminal case in which five men and a 15-year-old boy met a violent death between February 1 and 8.

Yordanov said the Interior Minister's "actions raise serious suspicions of attempts to cover up traces linked to this pedophile sect and its political backers".

First, Dechev demanded the resignations of the senior officers responsible for the Petrohan case, said Yordanov. The Minister then summoned a police officer to a restaurant in Sofia to demand information on the investigation that can only be obtained with a prosecutor's approval, which was a breach of the law, said the MP.

On Wednesday, Dechev dismissed the directors of the National Police, the Directorate General for Combating Organized Crime, and the Directorate General Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Counter Terrorism. In late February, he replaced the Ministry's Secretary General and dismissed the heads of 23 out of 28 regional directorates of the Interior Ministry.

The TISP party also criticized the absence of briefings or updates on the Petrohan case since Dechev took office on February 19 as part of the Andrey Gurov Cabinet.

Parliament Chair Raya Nazaryan reminded Toshko Yordanov that offensive language is not permitted on the floor of the National Assembly.

On February 25, Interior Minister Emil Dechev was given a hearing in Parliament amid allegations that he had exerted pressure on investigators. Dechev categorically denied claims that he had interfered in the investigation or attempted to influence the work of investigative teams working on the Petrohan-Okolchitsa case. He said he had neither met with investigating police officers nor issued instructions regarding the direction of the probe. He confirmed having met in a restaurant with the head of the criminal police, but only to be briefed as far as possible about what was known in the case - not to interfere in the investigation.