Minister of Interior Refers MRF Leader Peevski's Declared Assets and Income to Audit Office

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has referred information to the Audit Office over suspicions of discrepancies between the declared assets and income of a public figure and his actual lifestyle – Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Delyan Peevski, the Ministry of Interior said on July 31.

The report also includes information about an alleged failure to declare expenses made for Peevski's benefit. The minister took this step following a position from the Audit Office stating that the institution does not have the authority to launch investigations on its own initiative, the Ministry of Interior added.

"With this report, I inform you that I believe there are data and circumstances giving rise to reasonable doubts about discrepancies between the officially declared information provided by Mr Delyan Slavchev Peevski. I believe that a detailed review should be carried out of the assets declared by Mr Peevski, in his capacity as a person holding public office, in light of the information and facts I presented during a hearing in the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria on 2 July 2026 regarding private aircraft flights undertaken by him in recent years," the report states.

The Minister of Interior further notes that in recent years the MP has repeatedly travelled to various destinations, mainly Dubai, with the flights carried out using private aircraft, despite the financial sanctions imposed on him under the Global Magnitsky Act.

"There is information suggesting that, in order to circumvent the sanctions, the financing of the flights was provided by third parties. Persons holding public office are required to declare cases in which guarantees have been provided for their benefit or expenses have been paid by them or on their behalf, where these have not been covered using their own funds, public funds or funds of the institution where they hold office, including payments for travel and other expenses with an individual value exceeding €500," Minister Demerdzhiev's report states.

He called on the Audit Office to conduct a full and comprehensive review within its legal powers regarding the accuracy and completeness of the submitted declarations, as well as any discrepancies between declared income, assets and the individual's actual financial situation.