President Radev: Former Defence Minister Nenchev ‘Crashed’ in MiG-29 Repair Deal

Bulgaria’s President Rоumen Radev said that during his term as Minister of Defence, Nikolai Nenchev, failed. He categorically "crashed" in the case of Poland, Radev commented referring to the concluding a contract with Poland for modernization of the fighter aircrafts MIG-29.

The head of state spoke to journalists on 4 July before a court hearing of a case in which former Defence Minister Nikolai Nenchev was charged in connection with the servicing of MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Bulgarian Air Force. President Radev, who is former Air Force Commander, is a witness in the case.

Radev recalled that an information report which he himself had submitted as a military commander clearly said that Poland might have potential to service the Bulgarian jets but the matter should be carefully examined. The information report was submitted during the term of office of Defence Minister Angel Naydenov, who served before Nenchev. Radev said he has always insisted that Bulgaria should sign a contract with Russia's RSK MiG corporation in order to salvage the Bulgarian Air Force. “Another thing which I have always called for is to seek opportunities for the diversification of services by approaching Poland - and for the acquisition of a new type of airplanes over the long term," Radev said.

"The Air Force descended into total collapse," he said, discussing Nenchev's activities and agreed with the thesis that Bulgaria's military airplanes were grounded. Currently, the planes can fly only because Bulgarian engineers have extended their service life. "This is against all rules, and we are the ones who bear the risk," President Radev said.

As regards the meeting with the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on 3 July, President Radev said they discussed the need to prevent a war of institutions which some politicians in Borissov's GERB party were trying to wage. Radev expressed his hope that GERB will embrace Borissov's statesmanlike approach which, according to the President, is at odds with the actions and the declarations of GERB Deputy Chairman and Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov. "He knows more about apartments than about fighter jets. His only connection with aviation is that he is on autopilot when he speaks and someone else sets the course for him." (The reference to the apartments was a throwback to a scandal about the acquisition of housing by Tsvetanov and members of his family).

As regards the establishment of the parliamentary ad-hoc committee to look into the process of acquiring Gripen fighters for the Bulgarian Air Force, Radev said that this was an attempt to turn the Bulgarian Parliament into a permanent tribunal for political influence. “This National Assembly is producing scandals, not laws," the Head of State said.

source: BTA

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