The leader of the GERB party and former Bulgarian prime minister, Boyko Borissov, has hit back at long-standing money laundering allegations after Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev called on him to give up his political immunity.
According to Bulgaria’s prosecution, there is now “incriminating evidence” that between 2009 to 2021, Borissov provided third parties with criminally-acquired funds to purchase and rent real estate in other countries, particularly Spain.
“I have not had, do not have and do not plan, to have any property in Spain,” insisted Borissov.
Borissov has sided with former opponents in “We Continue the Change” (WCC) and its allies Democratic Bulgaria on plans for judicial reform after coming first in inconclusive general elections on 2 April. The planned reforms would see the ousting of Chief Prosecutor Geshev.
Geshev’s removal from office has long been sought after by GERB’s opponents as a minimum expectation before any cooperation can take place.
The prosecution under Geshev has, until now, turned a blind eye to allegations about Borissov involvement in money laundering activities. In light of planned legal reforms, Geshev appears to have called the institution behind him in undermining Borissov.
In a series of recent statement, Borrisov has called Geshev’s intentions into question, highlighting that the prosecution made efforts to contain him when he had no political immunity between 2021 and the recent elections in April.
Spanish media first investigated the so-called “Barcelonagate” in 2020. Then, too, Bulgarian prosecutors did not act. The case was first mentioned in Bulgarian media as early as 2016.
The former Miss Bulgaria 2001 Ivayla Bakalova and former Lukoil director Valentin Zlatev were brought in as witnesses on Wednesday, and were questioned in the Sofia Prosecutor’s Office regarding the allegations.
“The prosecution long slept on the case, I’m glad it woke up,” Bakalova told reporters.
The development of the case is a part of an ongoing shift in the country’s political landscape, and takes place as GERB/United Democratic Forces and opponents in the WCC/Democratic Bulgaria take part in tense negotiations on a joint cabinet to end Bulgaria’s political stalemate that led to five general elections in two years.
“The grand goal of all of this is for the [joint] government not to happen,” Borissov explained. He claimed he had not seen Bakalova “for decades.”
It is expected that more political figures are to be mentioned in relation to the ongoing “Barcelonagate” scandal.
Image via Pixabay
