Photo: AP Photo/Olivier MatthysThe former Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, was arrested last night in Sofia during a special police operation for misuse of funds from the European Union. Borisov has a colorful biography, and some roads lead from it to Joce Amsterdam
The former prime minister of Bulgaria in three terms and the mayor of Sofia, Boyko Borisov, was detained as part of a police operation connected with the investigations of the European Public Prosecutor's office, Reuters reported, referring to the statement of the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, which confirmed the arrest of several other former officials.
Former Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov, former President of the Parliamentary Committee for the Budget Menda Stojanova and adviser to Boyka Borisov for media Sevdalina Arnaudova were also arrested. The press release states that "a major operation related to 120 cases of the Office of the European Prosecutor in Bulgaria" is underway, that searches and seizures are underway at several addresses.
According to the Ministry, the police action resulted from the investigation of dozens of cases of misuse of funds from European funds in Bulgaria, which were forwarded from the office of the chief prosecutor of the European Union, Laura Koveši. Prime Minister Kirill Petkov said on Facebook that "no one is above the law."
Euronews reports that Borisov's party Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERD) denied the arrest, but confirmed that his house was searched. Borisov was the head of the Bulgarian government three times - from 2009 to 2013, then from 2014 to 2017 and finally from 2017 to 2021 and is the second longest-serving prime minister.
Firefighter
Boyko Metodiev Borisov was born on June 13, 1959 in Bankja. Between 1982 and 1990, he held various positions in the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs. His specialty is "Fire-fighting technology and safety", with that subject he graduated from the Higher Special School.
From 1985 to 1990, he was a lecturer at the Higher Institute for Officer Training (VIPOND). He wrote a dissertation on the topic "Psycho-physical preparation of the operational team". From 1982 to 1990, he worked in various departments in the firefighting command of the Ministry of the Interior. Regardless of the fact that he only worked with firefighters, he was considered a good officer and was promoted.
Karate fighter, bodyguard and lieutenant general
Since 1978, he has been actively involved in karate and was the coach of the Bulgarian national karate team.
In 1990, he left the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and in 1991 he founded the protection company "Ipon-1", which insures famous people such as Todor Zhivkov and Simeon of Saxe-Coburg-Goth.
Since 2001, he has been appointed chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and has the rank of colonel. In 2002, by the decree of President Georgi Parvanov, he became a major general, and in 2004 he attained the rank of lieutenant general.
Links with criminals
In the Bulgarian Wikipedia, it is claimed that between 1990 and 2000, Borisov was associated with problematic individuals from the underground, such as Mladen Mikhalev-Madzo, Rumen Nikolov-Pashata and others, who are connected to the special services and control the narcotics traffic and prostitution.
At the trial in Belgrade, Sreten Jocić aka Joca Amsterdam stated that he was under his protection, which he was Borisov in conversation with "Vremena" journalist rejected as subterfuge, and stated as counter-evidence that Joca Amsterdam was arrested while he was in power in the Bulgarian police and that it is good for him that his opponents seized on that case.
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