„If reliable information really comes out that I am not doing my job as a minister, I will leave.“ This was stated to bTV by the acting Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov.
An inspection ordered by Glavchev showed systemic violations and illegal spending of public funds in the Ministry of Culture.
This was revealed in a report of the General Inspectorate of the Council of Ministers. It is about officials in the ministry exercising control over the activities of the Theatre-Musical and Philharmonic Center in Razgrad and the Rhodope Drama Theater in Smolyan.
„When the Prime Minister handed me the report on Friday, he said there was a problem inside – I have signed a document authorizing these payments. Coming home to the ministry, I was in shock. I immediately checked the document in question. What I approve is not the expenses incurred, but the measures that should be taken as a result of the fact that such expenses were incurred,“, Todorov explained.
In his words, there are three measures. The first is to demand explanations from all directors who, as of September 30, have exceeded 75% of their annual budget. The second measure is the dispatch of the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture to all state cultural institutes in the performing arts. The third is putting limits on the expenses of cultural institutes.
„A minister signs between 500 and 1,200 documents a day, but I am still careful about what I sign. So I checked right away and it turned out to be something completely different. I assume that somehow the prime minister was misled”, is the opinion of Nayden Todorov.
„If Prime Minister Glavchev believes that I have something to do with the draining of these funds, he is obliged to ask for my resignation. "I will request an investigation by the highest authority for everything that happened, and if there is the slightest doubt about my work, I will leave," said the Minister of Culture.
He added that he is ready to bring the prosecutor's office into the Ministry of Culture to carry out an inspection.
According to Todorov, the report does not specify who, by law, should control the activities of cultural institutions. The document says that the control is “performed formally”.
„There is obviously a lack of control and at the end of the investigation it will become clear. By order, the relevant deputy minister is responsible for control. This is Ilko Ganev. These percentage increases, however, happen over the years, and he was not deputy minister then“, explained Minister Todorov.
When asked if he trusts Ilko Ganev, he replied that at the moment he only trusts the investigative authorities.
In the report, the Chief Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture also makes recommendations for seeking disciplinary responsibility from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Todor Keranov, and from the Director of the “Performing Arts and Art Education” Eliyanka Mihailova.
„As early as Monday, a disciplinary council will be held to hold them accountable,” said the Minister of Culture.