POPTODOROVA: IT WASN’T THEFT, IT WAS INVOLUNTARY MISTAKE

Information that former Bulgarian Ambassador to the USA Elena Poptodorova was detained at the airport in Warsaw for alleged attempted theft of cosmetics from the duty-free shop was published on 28th of February by some electronic media that cited Russian and Polish editions.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news about the incident for BNT. Poptodorova was quoted as telling BTA that it was not about stealing, but was a mistake. The incident happened on Monday, 28th of February, around 16.00 pm in the duty-free shop at the airport in Warsaw. Todorova was holding a cosmetic product in her hands when she received an urgent call on her mobile phone from her mother who was ill. Forgetting that she still had the product in her hand, she had stepped out of the duty-free shop to answer the call. She apologised for the mistake and paid a fine.

She explained she had to urgently travel to Bulgaria because her mother's illness

“I went into the area of the duty-free shop and was browsing through some cosmetics. At this point, I received a call from Bulgaria and sought a quiet place to answer the phone and hold the conversation. Focusing my attention entirely to the call, I stepped out of the duty-free zone with the product in my hand. Two employees appeared and spoke with me. I explained that it was involuntary and I made a mistake, apologized and paid the fine as I was required.” Poptodorova said she couldn’t believe that such an incident for which, of course, she was very sorry and took responsibility, attracted so much attention and serious interpretations. “I have no problem to buy the cosmetics I need. I don’t need to put my reputation at risk, " she said.