Bulgarian intelligence claims that it is underfunded and that it is difficult to recruit intelligence officers. At the same time, the National Security Agency (DANS) points out that Russia continues to conduct disinformation and propaganda campaigns and to exercise malicious cyber influences against countries considered hostile, as Bulgaria was declared.
“There are no capital funds to create the toolkit. They are at most about 3%. When you pay good salaries, but you don't have the tools - this includes creating agent networks, maintaining them, penetrating criminal organizations - what are you actually doing? They tell you - put on your clothes and get your salary. Neither the fight against corruption is possible, nor the standard actions carried out by the special services“, commented on “Face to Face“ on bTV, Prof. Nikolay Radulov, former Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, national security expert and MP from MECH.
“The average rate of capital expenditures is 25%, and the lowest – between 18 and 20%. With us it is 3% - we can't even repair a roof“, he added.
“At some subconscious level, a decision is made – what money will we give them, how much work do they do, they just get in our way. The trade unions want a salary that is quite fair“, believes Prof. Radulov.
“At the heart of the system – "In the Ministry of Interior itself, corruption and cronyism have become so entrenched that they seem to be the rule rather than the exception," he further commented.