site.btaMP Bozhanov Accuses Authorities of Concealing Information on Smuggling Case

The authorities are concealing information about a smuggling network, said Bozhidar Bozhanov, an MP and co-chair of Yes, Bulgaria of the opposition Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition. He was speaking Wednesday to the press in the corridors of Parliament.

Bozhanov was referring to a cigarette smuggling ring which was exposed when tension flared up in early April between Interior Minister Daniel Mitov and CC-DB over a faulty crackdown against the criminal operation in Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city. Since then, CC-DB have repeatedly tried to push through in parliament's agenda a hearing on the case - and failed each time.

"In the past few weeks, those in power - the majority aligned with [Delyan] Peevski - have made every effort to hide all information about the smuggling channel that was uncovered and is alleged to be linked to Peevski," Bozhanov said.

"The smuggling route in Plovdiv, about which we are requesting information—and today the majority once again blocked a motion to have the Minister of Interior provide that information—was covered up and obscured by today’s operation," he added.

Bozhanov also commented on an operation in Plovdiv earlier on Wednesday, during which the head of the regional Customs Agency was detained.

"We are not defending the customs director - we don’t know him. Let him be investigated with the full force of the law. But Peevski had been warning in recent days that such an operation was coming. The time they’ve bought was used to prepare this operation so that the public would not clearly see who is behind the smuggling channel," the MP stated.

"The channel we have referred to in all our demands - the one that was revealed through chat leaks in early April - is most likely linked to Peevski. That is precisely why these actions are being taken now - majorities are being broken up in the municipal council, and other steps are being taken," Bozhanov pointed out.

When asked to comment rumours that an MP of CC-DB is being investigated in connection with the cigarette smuggling case, Bozhanov said his group has no such information. "There has been no motions for removing an MP's immunity. At this stage, these are just speculations."