Gen. Tonev: After the arrest of Boyko Borisov - in Kiril Petkov's office the ladies drank champagne and the men Chivas R

Abuse of power, total violation of laws in the country, use of the repressive machine against political opponents, the arrest of the leader of the opposition by the prime minister's office - you will read about all this in the following lines:

On Monday i.f. chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov requested the immunity of the former prime minister and co-chairman of "We continue the change” Kiril Petkov for exceeding his authority and unlawfully ordering the arrest of GERB leader Boyko Borisov, former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov and the PR of the party Sevdalina Arnaudova.

The court declared the detention of the three illegal.

The case was even presented as an example of human rights violations in a US State Department Report.

Hours after requesting Petkov's immunity, Sarafov found himself on a working visit to Washington.

The materials from the case were also submitted to the parliament's registry, which make it clear what happened in the Prime Minister's office on March 17, 2022, both before and after the detention of Borisov, Goranov and Arnaudova.

THE LIGHT MAKERS: ROUGH USE OF THE REPRESSIVE APPARATUS AGAINST A POLITICAL OPPONENT

A reporter of Epicenter.bg was able to get acquainted with part of the interrogations of the witnesses, among whom are the former director of the State Police, investigating policemen, as well as the heads of the National Security Service and the National Narcotics Agency.

The documents are not secret, as no special intelligence tools were used in the case.

However, the witness statements reveal the gross use of the repressive apparatus against political opponents by the then Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Minister of the Interior.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MARCH 17, 2022

Noon time

Ventsislav Kirchev, at that time the director of the National Democratic Party of Ukraine, was summoned to Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's office.

Prime Minister Petkov is in the company of his deputy Asen Vassilev and Boyko Rashkov. The three of them are interested in a file located in GDNP according to the testimony of Vasil Bozhkov, who was hiding in Dubai at the time.

"Kiril Petkov said that he has information and evidence about her. He was interested in her in so far as he had evidence of her and had something to say and comment on her. Then I told him to stop because I can't question him or take explanations from him. I told him that there are investigative police officers and operatives to carry out the appropriate actions,” we read in Kirchev's testimony.

We understand from them that at the Prime Minister's request, he summoned his deputy, Angel Dulev, to organize a team from the "Investigation" department. and all to appear before the Council of Ministers.

The order has been fulfilled and Angel Dulev - Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, Vanya Georgieva - Head of the "Investigation" Department, Bozhidar Savov - Deputy Head of the same Department and Ivan Nikolov - Head of the "Economic Police" arrive in the Prime Minister's office.

We cannot dispute the Prime Minister's wishes

The head of the "Investigation" department Vanya Georgieva admits that she found out about the file against Borisov, Goranov and Arnaudova in the prime minister's office.

Later, Tsvetan Yotsov, who directly worked on the file, was called to the Council of Ministers.

"The Prime Minister said that he wants to be questioned here and now, we are part of the executive power and we have no way of disputing his desire to testify in his office,” Georgieva stated to the investigators. She was questioned several times by the prosecutor's office.

In her testimony, the head of the "Investigation" repeatedly points out that she drew attention to Kiril Petkov, Asen Vasilev, and also to Boyko Rashkov, that the prosecutor's office should be informed, "since there is a preliminary check by the State Prosecutor's Office and it is appropriate for the prosecutor's office to get acquainted with the materials in the case file and assess whether there are grounds for initiating pre-trial proceedings“.

Vanya Georgieva testified against Kiril Petkov

"There was a reply from his side when I mentioned about notifying the prosecutor's office, from Petkov's side, that he wants to be interrogated at the moment… is conducted by investigators and investigating police officers are not competent. "My comment was left without a reaction," said Vanya Georgieva.

"All this happened in front of the leadership of the GDNP and the Ministry of the Interior, which is why inaction on our part would have been interpreted as a refusal to carry out criminal prosecution. Unfortunately, the way in which I proposed to carry out the necessary actions on the investigation was not accepted by the management and the others present from the Council of Ministers at the highest level of government“, declared Vanya Georgieva to the investigator.

Rashkov was certainly there when…

Her testimony was also confirmed by her deputy in the "Investigation" department. – Bozhidar Savov, who was present in Kiril Petkov's office: "Vanya Georgieva explained that we are not competent to start the pre-trial proceedings, given the persons against whom the actions should be taken and that they were members of the Court of Justice… they simply pretended not to hear Vanya Georgieva's comment… certainly Minister Rashkov was at the time when Georgieva explained that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the investigating police officers were not competent…“

GDNP employee Tsvetan Yotsov also confirms the testimony of the heads of the "Investigation" department. of the GDNP and the former director of the service.

KIRIL PETKOV ORDERS: TO BYPASS THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE! BORISOV, GORANOV, ARNAUDOVA SHOULD BE SEARCHED URGENTLY!

"Kiril Petkov insisted on avoiding and bypassing the prosecutor's office and not reporting to it the initiation of this case and the work on it. Basically, he said that pre-trial proceedings should be started, that Borisov, Goranov and Arnaudova should be searched, this was heard by everyone… The investigating policemen explained that they had no authority to work against persons with immunity… I remember that it was discussed whether there was an urgency and whether an urgent search of these people could be carried out. Kiril Petkov, however, insisted that pre-trial proceedings be started, that he himself be questioned, then he mentioned that he had spoken the day before with the European prosecutor Kyoveshi, then insisted that he be questioned and that this be the first step in the investigation,“, Tsvetan Yotsov describes the feverish atmosphere in the prime minister's office.

Disease "saves” Menda Stoyanova from show arrest

One detail, which became known in the hours after the arrest of Boyko Borisov, is confirmed by his testimony. The initial information, disseminated at the time by the press centers of the government and the Ministry of the Interior, indicated that Menda Stoyanova, a former deputy from GERB and the chairman of the budget committee, was also among those ostentatiously arrested. "Menda Stoyanova was mentioned, but everyone knew that she was sick with cancer and the idea of her being searched or detained in the case was dropped altogether,”, reveals Yotsov.

A POLICE OFFICER REFUSES TO FULFILL AN ORDER TO HANDCUFF BOYKO BORISOV

The tension in the prime minister's office is growing. Kiril Petkov is in euphoria - Borissov should be arrested! Police officers and investigators repeatedly warned him that this should not be done because it was against the CPC. Petkov is adamant! He wants Borisov behind bars!

And so, under the pressure of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, the decision was reached to carry out urgent actions – searches in the homes of Boyko Borisov, Vladislav Goranov and Sevdalina Arnaudova, as well as their detention,

Policeman Tsvetan Yotsov has the responsible mission - to arrest Borisov and put handcuffs on him at all costs - a historical moment that must be sealed by the TV cameras and which Kiril Petkov will put in his political biography as a valuable trophy!

Yotsov heads to the home of the GERB leader in Bankya.

While traveling, all kinds of superiors and officials around the prime minister call him on the phone, who give him a single order - that Borisov must be handcuffed!

"I decided that I had no legal basis to handcuff him or use other aids… while we were traveling to the State Police, Petar Petrov (at that time Kiril Petkov's advisor – note.ed.) called me on the phone, who later became deputy. - chairman of DANS, Angel Dulev also called me, and Ivan Nikolov also called me. The three of them told me that when Boyko Borisov gets out of the car in front of the GDNP, he must be handcuffed. There were no journalists in front of the GDNP building, but there was a person from the press center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he took a lot of pictures and took pictures with us until we got up to my room. I never carried out these, in my opinion, illegal orders for the use of aids in the sense of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, without any reason for this, the police officer also revealed.

March 17, 2022, in the evening

Boyko Borisov, Vladislav Goranov and Sevdalina Arnaudova were arrested on the evening of March 17, shortly before the evening news on television.

The order for the arrest and searches of the three was issued personally by the then Prime Minister, who summoned investigating police officers and their superiors to his office.

Two senior representatives were also called to the Council of Ministers – the chairman of the State Agency "National Security” Plamen Tonchev and Emil Tonev, director of the National Security Service, who was also questioned as a witness.

CHEERS FOR BORISOV'S ARREST

In front of the investigators, the head of the NSO, Emil Tonev, said that he was summoned personally by Kiril Petkov. It was only in the Prime Minister's office that Tonev found out that Borisov's detention was being prepared. The head of the NSO is required to cooperate with the police authorities, since the leader of GERB uses state security and that there is no "White Birch" type incident. (A case from the 1990s, in which a lack of coordination between two units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs led to the tragic death of two berets.)

The head of the NSO had to wait for more than an hour and a half, while Petar Petrov, Kiril Petkov's adviser, ordered him to contact Boyko Borisov's security team to warn them that a police action was taking place and to cooperate with the authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs .

Gen. Tonev has a conversation with the bodyguards of the GERB leader, who are informed about the situation. A few minutes later, however, Emil Tonev had to call his colleagues at Bankya again. This time, because the policemen sent by Kiril Petkov could not find Borisov's house and got lost.

In the end, after a long wandering, the GDNP employees found Boyko Borisov's home and were even greeted by the head of his security team.

They enter Borisov's home. He had dinner with his family and grandchildren. Everyone goes into shock. Especially the children and his daughter, who, as it later became known, is pregnant.

At the same time, the company in the Council of Ministers, which includes: Kiril Petkov, Asen Vasilev, Boyko Rashkov, Petar Petrov and others, begins to celebrate.

"At that moment, one of those present took out a bottle of Chivas Regal, they poured whiskey for everyone, they even put a glass on me," Gen. told the investigators. Emil Tonev.

AS IN THE THEATER OF THE ABSURD

"They toasted each other and congratulated each other that Boyko Borisov was detained…They also started talking about a search of the house where Borisov lives,", we read in the testimony of Gen. Tonev.

The insanity of Petkov and his company was so strong that they were about to take follow-up actions against Borisov. "They wanted to find bags full of money, that's what Asen Vassilev was talking about," revealed Gen. Tonev.

With Kyoveshi, without Kyoveshi

After Borisov's arrest, guests started coming to Petkov's office in the Ministry of Justice, Tonev also testified: "The following guests came – Daniel Laurer with his wife, the Minister of Administrative Reform Kalina Konstantinova, Lena Borislavova also came, Rumen Spetsov also came. The head of the PR Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also came…

Everyone sat down at the table, the ladies drank champagne and the men drank whiskey. It was said by Kiril Petkov and especially Asen Vassilev that Boyko Borisov should be taken out of the house in handcuffs and thus taken to the GDNP... I remember that at some point Asen Vassilev explained that he had to call that Borisov was arrested in connection with the European prosecutor Köveshi, then they began to regret that they had announced that Borisov's arrest was in connection with Kyoveshi… I think Asen Vassilev told this head of PR in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that Boyko Borisov must be handcuffed, they called someone in the State Police, somewhere around 10:30-11:00 p.m. I left the Ministry of Internal Affairs…“

WHY DOES THE PROSECUTION REQUEST KIRILL PETKOV'S IMMUNITY NOW?

It is noteworthy that Emil Tonev's testimony was given only a month ago, and those close to "We continue the change” director of the NRA Rumen Spetsov two weeks ago.

This largely explains why only now did the prosecutor's office proceed with the request to remove Kiril Petkov's immunity. It also explains why Petkov launched a personal attack against I.F. chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov in recent weeks, apparently understood that the investigation for exceeding his powers in connection with the illegal arrest of Borisov, Goranov and Arnaudova is about to be finalized.

As for the testimony of Rumen Spetsov, he confirms that the company in the MS drank whiskey after the police entered Borisov's home.

"We all watched the live television broadcast of what was happening in front of Boyko Borisov's house, then there was a live cordon of party functionaries, they were in front of his house and we watched the broadcast until the police took Borisov out of his house… all the time those present (in the office of K. Petkov) communicated with the police officers who are on the ground and participate in the detention… In all these communications and conversations that took place with the policemen, I heard from Boyko Rashkov instructions for taking Borisov out of his home in handcuffs. I also heard Kiril Petkov commenting on the same circumstance, that Boyko Borisov should be taken out of his home in handcuffs…

Kiril Petkov, Lena Borislavova discussed on the phone with someone the existence of a prerequisite for urgency and becoming a witness in the case of Kiril Petkov”, Rumen Spetsov stated before the prosecutor's office.

Spetsov also specifies that he knows from the chairman of DANS Plamen Tonchev, who was also summoned to the Council of Ministers, that he was also not aware of the surprise police action and the illegal arrests ordered by the Prime Minister's office against the leader of the opposition on this time.

For the public, the saga of the arrest began with live television broadcasts from Boyko Borisov's house in Bankya. Members of the party had gathered there, including representatives of the leadership and almost all of its deputies. The submitted information stated that the former Prime Minister's house was being searched and seized.

Prime Minister Kiril Petkov wrote on Facebook that "no one is above the law".

The Ministry of the Interior announced that a "large-scale operation of the Main Directorate of the "National Police" (GDNP) by the European Prosecutor's Office, which investigates misuse of European funds”, and that four people were detained: the former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the former Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov, the PR of GERB Sevdelina Arnaudova and the former chairwoman of the parliamentary budget committee Menda Stoyanova, whose homes were searched.

Then it turned out that Stoyanova was not detained, and the police did not show up at her home.

Arnaudova reported that the news of her arrest was published before the police arrived at her home. Her arrest took place in front of her daughter, as the police were ordered not to take the child out of the room while they arrested his mother.

The spokeswoman for the chief prosecutor Siika Mileva announced to the televisions that the state prosecution was not informed about the ongoing operation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but added that by law there are 24 hours in which this should happen.

More than two hours after the announcement of the action and the arrest, it became clear that the police took Borisov to the GDNP building in the Mladost district. in Sofia, where both Goranov and Arnaudova were taken.

This led to the gathering of dozens of sympathizers and members of GERB in front of the GDNP building, where MPs from the party continued to make statements to the media, made accusations against the government and, in particular, against the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov. They chanted "Resign“.

Then Boyko Borisov's lawyer, Menko Menkov, provided a little more detail about what happened. He said that Borisov is not an accused, but is detained under "urgent measures", i.e. only by the Ministry of the Interior and without judicial authorization. Menkov stated that he did not know what the investigation was about and that nothing was seized from Borisov's home.

Menkov pointed out that the detention itself was carried out on the basis of a text from the Criminal Code on extortion, but without specifying who the extorted person was. This detail suggested that among the numerous public accusations about Borisov's actions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs most likely focused on what businessman Vasil Bozhkov made. He claimed that he was blackmailed by Borisov and Goranov for his gambling business and paid them millions.

In the words of lawyer Menkov, the question arose as to why the detention of Borisov had to be carried out precisely "as a matter of urgency".

The next day, the state prosecution reported that they had already been notified by fax from the Ministry of the Interior about the action.

Source: Epicenter.bg