site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Demand Hearing of Plamen Tonchev on His Step Down as Chair of State Agency for National Security

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) wants Plamen Tonchev to explain why he is leaving his post as chairman of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) a year before his term expires, CC co-leader Kiril Petkov told journalists on the sidelines of Parliament on Thursday.

The National Assembly elected on Wednesday Plamen Tonchev to head the Committee for Disclosing the Documents and Announcing Affiliation of Bulgarian Citizens to the State Security and intelligence Services of the Bulgarian National Army, commonly known as the secret police files committee. Tonchev was elected with 120 votes in favour, 78 against, and five abstentions.

According to Kiril Petkov, information has emerged that Tonchev's son's name is involved in a potential corruption scandal involving medications. "Are we again facing a 'hostage crisis', blackmail, and pressure against him, as in the case of Dzhevdet Chakarov's son," Kiril Petkov asked.

"Today we are submitting an official request for a hearing with the chairman of the SANS, because he is still the chairman of SANS, and to ask – is there pressure on him to head the secret police files committee and step down from his post as chair of SANS, and why is this happening a year before the end of his term," Petkov said.

The second important question is how having an acting head of SANS will affect national security at this time, who will be the acting head, and what policies he will pursue, added the CC co-leader.

CC-DB MP Boyko Rashkov added, without giving details, that there is a pre-trial investigation in the prosecution office that somehow implicates Tonchev.