Minister Ivan Hristanov: Agriculture Ministry Received Alert of Potential National Security Threat

A tipoff indicating a possible threat to national security has been received by the Ministry of Agriculture, with the caretaker Prime Minister already informed.

“Last night we received the tipoff and alerted the relevant services. We have begun inspections. I cannot disclose more at this stage,” caretaker Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov said at a briefing while presenting his team on February 27.

Hristanov has already submitted a report to the Prosecutor's Office concerning alleged abuses amounting to nearly half a million leva linked to the so-called “golden excavator” case.

However, he declined to provide further details about the latest tipoff, which has also been communicated to the State Agency for National Security (SANS).

Hristanov stressed that he would not yield to pressure. Yesterday, representatives of There Is Such a People read a declaration containing information about the caretaker minister’s appointments and urged President Iotova to seek his resignation.

“The past few days have been marked by unprecedented attacks. We heard claims that my wife had interests in certain laboratories — this is slander and deception. It is very interesting that this attack coincided with the report submitted to the Prosecutor’s office,” Hristanov said.

He added:

“Our first priority is transparency. This beautiful building had been turning into a place of backroom dealings.
We guarantee that the sector will not be affected by the change. We want to reassure everyone that work will continue on schedule. The fight against corruption remains our highest priority. Whether we have three months or six, we will use every minute for the public good.”

***

Yesterday, February 26, representatives of the political party There Is Such a People read a declaration in Parliament outlining allegations concerning caretaker Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Hristanov, his appointments and alleged conflicts of interest, and urged President Iliiana Iotova to demand his resignation.

“After we exposed the case of Stoil Tsitselkov and succeeded in ending his participation in the executive branch, it is now time to present some information about another representative of the executive — Mr Ivan Hristanov, the ‘minister of the people’, as he styles himself online,” said Stanislav Balabanov, deputy chair of There Is Such a People’s parliamentary group, reading the declaration from the floor of the National Assembly of Bulgaria.

Balabanov alleged that, while serving as deputy minister in the government of Kiril Petkov, Hristanov — whose portfolio included oversight of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency — had significant interests linked to food production and laboratory testing.

“This explains his strong personal drive to halt the activity of a competing pesticide-testing laboratory located on the border with Turkey. From this ambition, the corporate family interests of the Hristanov family are clearly visible,” the MP from There Is Such a People said.

He added that, following the sale of a lending company, Hristanov’s wife, Iva Palma, had turned her focus to activities connected with food production and to a company engaged in laboratory testing.