No evidence of a crime has been established in the pre-trial proceedings related to the photos, which are said to be from the bedroom of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. This was announced by the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office. According to the prosecution, the footage was tampered with.
“Experts found tampering in their metadata and found inconsistencies in the images, which substantiate the assumption of manipulation and cast doubt on the authenticity of the copies of the photo material,” the SGP specified.
Expertise: The photos from Borisov’s bedroom are manipulation (OVERVIEW)
Within the framework of the pre-trial proceedings, seven computer-technical examinations of 17 files – 16 photos and one video material, as well as one additional extended complex computer-technical and facial identification examination – were appointed and prepared.
The SGP has sent five investigation warrants to Germany, France, Austria, Spain and Belgium in connection with the investigated photo and video footage, which depicted euro banknotes as well as yellow objects resembling gold bars.
“It is not possible to prove beyond doubt whether 500 euro banknotes, gold bars and a gun were actually located in the location depicted in the photographs. It cannot be proven whether the bundles of 500-euro banknotes also contain other banknotes, how many there are and what their total value is,” added the prosecutor’s office.
According to the Central Bank of France’s response, one of these banknotes does not exist, which “further casts doubt on the credibility of the photographs,” the indictment said. “All this leads to the conclusion that it is objectively possible that the photos taken were manipulated, including adding new details, changing existing ones or deleting them. In the answers from the national banks of Germany and Spain, it is stated that they are not able to establish whether the banknotes indicated in the photos are in circulation or they have been withdrawn”, the SGP claims.
The head of the budget committee in the EP: the photos of Borisov with the bullion were manipulated
During the detailed examination of the images, numerous inconsistencies were found – lack of watermarks on the images of the banknotes with a denomination of 500 euros; inconsistency in the color of hologram characters on banknote images; difference in coloration of face value of banknote images under available lighting; presence of blurred spots on parts of banknote images; the physical location of the rubber used; difference in the structure of two or more banknote images located in one photo (very good resolution of a banknote on which the serial number is visible and blurred letters and numbers on banknotes on which the serial number is not visible). In some photos, the rubber bands used to tighten the banknotes are in an unnatural position, and in other photos – they are completely absent, the prosecutor’s office points out.
“Although all possible investigative steps have been taken, it cannot be proven beyond doubt on which date and by whom the seventeen photographs and video recordings contained in the process files were taken. The dates contained in the metadata of some of the files cannot be accepted as reliable given the expertise appointed and prepared in the case. Because of this, the actual dates on which the photos were taken are not established, in order to be able to search for the persons who visited the property. Apart from that, there is no information about the persons who visited the property at all, because the NSO security had no obligation and did not record the data of the visitors”, the prosecution further explained.
In the course of the pre-trial proceedings, employees of the NSO, a landscaper, as well as the persons responsible for the hygiene and domestic needs of the property inhabited by the then prime minister were questioned. Individuals who were alleged to have given personal gifts to the then Prime Minister were questioned. “The same denied that they visited the property and/or that they gave gifts,” state the SGP.
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In his capacity as a witness, Borisov stated that he never kept money, gold bars and other valuables in a bedside table. He also stated that he did not know who and when may have taken the process photos and video recording, and regarding his statements to the media that the photos may have been taken by a “beautiful lady”, he stated that he was joking, provoked by journalistic posts that the photos were taken by a woman.
The prosecutor’s office said it was impossible to establish who sent the photo and video files to various media outlets because it was done from free email addresses in Guerrilla Mail, which existed for up to 60 minutes. For sending the emails, a publicly available free Wi-Fi network, located near the National Palace of Culture and maintained by the Metropolitan Municipality, was used.
“From all that has been stated so far, the only possible legal conclusion is that the two acts for which the pre-trial proceedings are being conducted do not constitute crimes, and that no evidence of another crime of a general nature has been collected from the investigation,” the announcement says of the prosecutor’s office.
The SGP announces that the case does not contain evidence, nor even enough data to investigate a crime related to the nature of the items seen in the photos and video (euro notes, gold bars and a gun), nor to a crime related to the origin of these items or the manner in which they are held – for example, embezzlement, embezzlement, bribery or other corruption offences, possession of a firearm without a proper permit or any other offense involving firearms activities.
2023-08-24 13:33:57
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