site.btaMP Boyko Rashkov Denies Launching Public Procurement for Religious Icons During Tenure as Interior Minister

Boyko Rashkov, MP from the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria coalition, denied having launched any public procurement for religious icons while serving as an interior minister between May 2021 and August 2022. "Such an idea was not even discussed in the ministry or within the political leadership while I was in charge," Rashkov told reporters in the lobby of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, at a news briefing at the Council of Ministers, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said that the practice of purchasing religious icons as a means to reduce road traffic accidents was introduced under the cabinet of Kiril Petkov, with Boyko Rashkov as interior minister.

"As a minister, I did not sign any contracts with anyone for the purchase of such items. Whoever makes such claims should explain what this is about," Rashkov stressed.

In his comments, Rashkov referred to a letter from the Guarantee Fund, showing its entry number, and explained that the institution is obliged to allocate five percent of its revenues to campaigns on road safety.

"This is the matter at hand. This letter is, by law, coordinated with two institutions — the Financial Supervision Commission, then chaired by Boyko Atanasov, and the Ministry of Interior, represented by me at that time. We did nothing else regarding this notification letter, which is largely formal and sent for coordination to these two bodies. The funds belong to the Guarantee Fund; this does not involve the expenditure of public or budget funds, neither from the Ministry of Interior nor any other state institution. Politicizing this issue shows a lack of understanding of the matter," Rashkov explained.

"Under my leadership, the ministry did not conclude any contracts nor announce any public procurements in this regard. At a later stage, including now, such a public procurement has been launched. To the best of my knowledge, hopefully my sources are not misleading me, contracts have been signed, but not for three to five thousand leva, rather for several hundred thousand leva," Rashkov concluded.

On May 25, the Interior Ministry said that it had launched an internal investigation regarding a public procurement tied to road safety. The probe was ordered by Mitov and is being conducted under expedited procedures. It concerns a national road safety awareness campaign for children.