site.btaTISP’s Stanislav Balabanov Accuses CC-DB of Turning Counter-Corruption Commission into Truncheon

“We heard some people speak on current issues today, and we were particularly struck by the statement of Atanas Atanasov [of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria] regarding the counter-corruption commission and what they claim is currently being used as a truncheon,” said There Is Such a People (TISP) deputy floor leader Stanislav Balabanov in the hallways of Parliament on Friday.

“Let’s recall the truth - who turned the commission into a truncheon and the Commission for Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Assets into a political tool? The answer is easy - CC-DB, when they were part of the government coalition with us, pushing for Boyko Rashkov to head the counter-corruption commission,” Balabanov said.

He further accused CC-DB of splitting the Counter-Corruption And Unlawfully Acquired Assets Forfeiture Commission into two bodies, including the counter-corruption commission in the National Recovery Plan rules, and granting it investigative powers - all moves made by CC-DB. “And now, when they are in opposition, they claim attempts are being made to turn the commission into a truncheon,” Balabanov added.

“Who made it so that this commission is used as their own truncheon? It was precisely them, with all their actions over the years and attempts to take control of it,” Balabanov continued. “And today, those same people who a year ago were begging Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borisov in their offices to do politics with them, to change the Constitution, to split the Counter-Corruption And Unlawfully Acquired Assets Forfeiture Commission, now say it has nothing to do with them,” Balabanov said. “They are clean, washed, and good,” he added sarcastically.

All these actions in recent years - splitting the commission, the proposal to appoint Boyko Rashkov as its head, its inclusion in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and granting it investigative powers were aimed at turning the institution into a truncheon used against inconvenient opponents while PP-DB was in power.

Asked whether there had been an agreement for GERB’s candidate Velislava Delcheva to be elected national ombudsman, Balabanov said that nominations were always discussed within the Joint Governance Council. He added that with today’s election of the ombudsman, they also rescued the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.