Caretaker Minister of Interior confirms information about politicians being subject to telephone tapping

Politicians had been subject to telephone tapping by two security agencies - the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the State Agency Technical Operations (SATO), caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov confirmed for BTA on May 21.

The Minister of Interior’s comments came in response to information from “Democratic Bulgaria” co-chairman and “Democrats for Strong Bulgaria” leader Atanas Atanassov, who said that politicians, including MP candidate list leaders, had been tapped around the time of the April 4 general elections.

Rashkov said that he has received information about materials being destroyed by SANS, who said yesterday that they started a check in relation to the signal about the tapping. Sofia Prosecutor’s office also said they at their own initiative, they have undertaken a check.

Rashkov also told BTA late on Thursday that the Prosecutor’s office has opened a case on him following media publications, alleging that he and the SATO deputy chief were preparing to tap the Prosecutor General.

The Prosecutor General's Spokesperson, Siyka Mileva, told BNT that the Prosecutor’s office has not initiated any pretrial proceedings against caretaker Minister of Interior.

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Atanas Atanassov on May 20 told media that three units of the security services - the internal security unit of the Ministry of Interior, the State Agency for National Security's (SANS) counterterrorism unit and the Chief Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime (CDCOC)counterterrorism unit , had tapped 32 senior politicians in Bulgaria.

He called on caretaker Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov to conduct a probe and shed light on this scandal.