/ world today news/I am convinced that this sentence is in line with today’s political situation inside and outside the country, especially with the requirements imposed on our country by external factors. But regardless of everything, I believe in the justice of the Bulgarian judicial system.
This is what Kircho Kirov, the former director of the National Intelligence Service, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges that he embezzled nearly 5 million BGN while he was at the head of the service, told the “12+3” program. In a closed session, the Military Court ordered the confiscation of half of his property. The amount of the imposed penalty is the minimum provided by law for this crime.
Millions have been diverted from the intelligence budget by the so-called “special operations” pen. According to the indictment, this happened in the period 2007-2011, and the lack of money was covered up with over 1,000 official financial documents to prove non-existent official expenses.
From the beginning of the investigation until now, Kircho Kirov has denied having committed the crime and defines the trial against him as politically absurd.
Unofficially, Kircho Kirov’s entourage commented that the conclusion of the case at the first instance with this heavy effective sentence is an attempt to demonstrate to our European partners an effective fight against high level corruption.
General Kirov stated before the BNR: I will allow myself to say something that I did not allow myself to say in the course of the investigation – this process began in its infancy as political and as the fulfillment of a political order by today’s heads of the National Intelligence Service – General Dragomir Dimitrov and General Georgi Milenov. Execution of a political order by Mr. Tsvetan Tsvetanov in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs in the previous administration of Mr. Borisov. My conviction was strengthened by the extremely politicized pleading of the prosecutor.
Kirov emphasized that he believes that he will prove his right in the upcoming instances before the court, without dividing them into civilians or military.
I speak in general about the Bulgarian judicial system and I express my faith in it, because it is subjected to too much pressure and blows, and I am convinced that many of these things it does not deserve, as well as the people working in it, said Kircho Kirov.
The former director of the National Intelligence Service explained that he did not have the opportunity to bring his agency to testify in his favor as an intelligence officer and expressed regret that the jury did not take into account certain factors.
In intelligence, not everything is what it seems at first glance. I did not have the opportunity, and this is objective for me due to the specifics of intelligence, to bring concrete evidence and bring foreign citizens as witnesses to testify about the work that I personally did, he said.
In this “scholastic stukmystik” were arranged things that the prosecution itself had arranged and which were refuted in the course of the judicial investigation. I sincerely regret that the court panel did not comply and did not take into account these glaring refutations of the indictment, added the general.
Kircho Kirov noted that the testimony of all those questioned confirmed his words that the funds for which he was accused of embezzlement went to special intelligence operations.
Both the president and the two prime ministers who were questioned, as well as the ministers and former directors-heads of the services, including the testimony of the current heads of the services, fully corroborated my testimony, he pointed out.
Kirov also added that he has information that serious pressure was exerted on the progress of his case by high-ranking persons.
My case was one of the landmark cases and now Bulgaria can show to the world and to Brussels that it was able to convict at least in the first instance one of the senior civil servants – the head of intelligence. I believe that it was this political conjuncture that imposed this sentence, as I have reliable information that pressure was put on the judge, and that by people coming from high state institutions. There is one that stands as the unifier of the nation – people from that institution put pressure on the judge, and I have reliable information about it, but I do not intend to go into evidence on that subject any further. I know it very well and the end result is visible and negative for me, said General Kircho Kirov.
In another interview, for BTV, the general announced that the trial against him in its infancy began as the fulfillment of a political order by today’s heads of the National Intelligence Service – Gen. Dragomir Dimitrov and Gen. Georgi Milenov. A political order that was ordered in 2012 by the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov, he said.
And I am convinced that this is so, because Mr. Tsvetanov himself on April 18, 2012 called me to his office, in his office of the Minister of Internal Affairs, and stated that I should leave immediately, automatically, the same day the team of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, since the competent authorities will deal with me, explained Kircho Kirov.
He again confirmed his thesis that the judge was under pressure, this time lifting the veil by declaring that it was from the Presidency.
I know well, I have absolutely reliable information, said Gen. Kirov.
I would also say that what happened to me is the least and I’m glad to say the least that I’m getting away with it. I had serious reasons to fear for my life and I had serious reasons to fear and continue to have them for the safety of my family, and obviously I have to think about these fundamental problems in the future, added General Kircho Kirov.
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