Former DPS lawmaker detained in organized-crime raid in Kostinbrod
The probe concerns alleged misuse of public procurement funds in the water sector. BNT sources link it to the so-called Burgas affair.
Symbolic image · Photo: Apostelgreek2 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)
A former member of parliament for the DPS party was detained on Oct. 14 in a raid by Bulgaria's Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime in Kostinbrod, near Sofia. The operation targets alleged misuse of public procurement funds in the water and sewerage sector. Investigators said money, expensive items and luxury houses of interest to the investigation were found at the scene. No specific amounts were given, and prosecutors and the Interior Ministry had made no official statement by the time BNT published its report.
According to BNT sources, the raid is a continuation of the investigation into the so-called Burgas affair in the water sector. In that case, a regional DPS chairman was previously detained and charged. Prosecutors say the scheme involved tampering with water meters so that certain properties officially paid far lower water bills than they actually owed. Those detained are presumed innocent until proven guilty.