The State Anti-Corruption Bureau and the National Anti-Corruption Agency conducted specialized operations in the municipalities of Sungurlare and Belitsa, during which the mayors Dimitar Gavazov and Radoslav Revanski were detained.
The mayor of Kardzhali Erol Myumyun also came under the focus of a police check after he was taken to take explanations on a case file.
Former Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov expressed his opinion to Bulgaria ON AIR that the investigation against the mayors on suspicion of criminal conspiracy for the purpose of trading in influence will still develop and additional evidence will be collected.
According to him, the timing of the operation is not related to the elections, since the preparation of such an operation takes months.
The investigation and the collection of evidence
Tsvetanov expects the investigation to continue with the establishment of new facts that will support possible charges in court.
"I am convinced that this is the beginning and there will be a lot of other evidence that will be collected so that this thesis can stand up in court, if it comes to an indictment", the former Minister of Internal Affairs said in the program "Denyat ON AIR".
According to him, the preparation of such an operation requires considerable time and should not automatically be tied to the election process.
"It takes at least 2-3 months to prepare such an operation, and the moment that has been chosen is not tied to the elections," Tsvetanov pointed out.
He noted that in this case we are talking about public procurement, the way in which they were organized, and the alleged diversion of public funds funds.
The former Minister of the Interior emphasized that every investigation goes through certain judicial stages and the final assessment of the guilt of the accused can only be made after their completion.
According to him, it is after going through the last court instance that it will become clear whether a person is guilty and whether a verdict will be reached.
We cannot talk about a political conspiracy
Regarding the political interpretations surrounding the action, Tsvetanov commented that at this stage there can be no talk of a political conspiracy. He called for an investigation into which governments governed the country in the period from 2024 to October 2026.
According to him, the MRF and GERB are the main political formations that have not declared their participation in the electoral process, and the connection between this circumstance and the action is rather speculative than based on concrete facts.
Tsvetanov also commented on the reactions of the political forces, expressing doubt that some of them are not publicly sharing everything they know.
"Observing the reactions of the political forces, I think there is something that they are not publicly sharing", he noted.
The former minister also said that the responsibility for clarifying the case lies in the hands of the investigative bodies.
"The future is in the hands of all who investigate these corrupt practices," he added Tsvetanov.
Tsvetanov's position on Russia and Ukraine
In his comment, Tsvetanov also touched on the war in Ukraine, stating that Russia must bear the consequences of its actions.
"Russia as an aggressor must get what it deserves. Ukraine has suffered a lot," said the former Minister of Internal Affairs.
He pointed out that Bulgaria has maintained consistency in its actions towards Ukraine and has not deviated from the course it has taken. As an example, he gave the strategic partnership agreement with Kiev, which was not terminated with the arrival of Rumen Radev.
Tsvetanov raised the question of how the country can protect its national interests, while at the same time maintaining its affiliation to European values.
He expressed confidence that the government will protect the country's national interests without submitting to Russia and will continue to adhere to European values.