"On Thursday last week, I received two calls on my application, with an unknown voice telling me: "Kartofa and his people are currently testifying against you at the State Police and will accuse you of bribery and taking a bribe. I did not remain indifferent and took preemptive measures, and announced this on my profile. I also filed a report with the State Police. They threatened me that they would accuse me and even expect arrest for having asked for a bribe or having influenced certain people". This was said by the acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, Georgi Kandev, in an interview for the program "The Day Live" on "Darik Radio", quoted by novini.bg.
When asked whether some of these "compromising materials" might be real, Kandev answered firmly with the words: "There are none".
"They called me from an anonymous number. I have no way of knowing who called exactly. I leave that to the Prosecutor's Office. We will not budge. We have done our job and will continue to fight crime in all its forms," Kandev vowed.
"All those who try to threaten me or employees of the Ministry of Interior should know that they will meet with firm resistance from both the ministry and the Bulgarian state," he added.
"Kartofa is a personification. He may be a collective image of all persons with nicknames. His first name is Julian - that's what I know, and he is involved in the so-called case with the travel allowances," Kandev pointed out.
"Yesterday, journalistic investigations came out, from which it is clear that there is a connection between the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior Svetlozar Lazarov and the person nicknamed Kartofa. Even in this investigation it was said that Lazarov's son had a relationship with the mother of Julian-Kartofa's children", he also said. Acting Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
He also pointed out that in Northeastern and Northwestern Bulgaria one vote was traded for about 30 euros, while in large cities the amount reached about 100-150 euros.