Reactions to reports about arrest of Bulgaria’s former Prime Minister Boyko Borrisov

“No one is above the law" - this is what Prime Minister Kiril Petkov wrote on Facebook late in the evening on March 17.

The probable reason for his post is the information that opposition GERB leader and former Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, and other party members were detained in a specialised operation of the DG “National Police”.

Rositsa Kirova, GERB

The way in which all this is happening is terrible, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rositsa Kirova, told BNT.

It looks to me like a force majeure situation, which someone unprepared announced and then everyone from the coalition jumped on it. An incredible staging - there was no Council of Ministers meeting today, all afternoon must have been having talks about what should happen and how, Kirova added.

Why do you think that what we all denied is true? This is terrible, shocking. If there are grounds, evidence or action to undertake something, it must be done in the right way, Kirova added.

The government has been losing support in the past month not because of GERB or because of Borissov, but because of their own inability to deal with crises, Kirova believes.

Daniel Mitov, GERB

"So far we know that at about 8 pm, 10 police officers came without allowing a lawyer and started searching the home of the opposition leader. Procedurally there are obviously major problems with this raid. From the police press release, it looks like that they are also abusing the trust of Ms Kövesi . This is a campaign by Boyko Rashkov (Minister of Interior) and an obvious crisis PR of the government," said Daniel Mitov.

Toma Bikov, GERB

"This is a coup d'état - they are destroying the rule of law in the country right now." This is how Toma Bikov from GERB commented on the detention of politicians from the party and the search of Boyko Borissov's house during a large-scale operation by the DG "National Police".

Tomorrow we start a protest and I call on all members and sympathizers of GERB and people who want Bulgaria to be a state of law, to come to the square, Bikov said.

Vassil Bozhkov, businessman

"For two years Geshev (Chief Prosecutor) did everything possible to cover for his associates after I gave irrefutable evidence of the biggest racketeering in Bulgaria's history. After my signal and testimony before the European Prosecutor's Office last month, today they finally arrested Boyko Borissov, Vladislav Goranov and Menda Stoyanova. The truth always comes out," businessman Vasil Bozhkov wrote on Facebook in relation to the arrest of Boyko Borissov and members of GERB in a specialised police operation.

Tsveta Karayancheva, GERB

After starting this mockery during the elections, tonight they attacked the leader of the largest opposition party - in the middle of the night, secretly, sneaking in illegally, Tsveta Karayancheva, a member of the Executive Committee of GERB and former Speaker of the National Assembly, told BNT.

I would like to invite PM Mr Petkov to come here and see what he will say to all those people who are ready to come here, she added.

Asked about what Vasil Bozhkov had written on Facebook that he had testified and on that basis the arrests were made, Karayancheva said: Too bad for a state that relies on the testimony of a man with over 19 charges against him.

Kostadin Kostadinov, "Vazrazhdane" party

"Boyko Borissov was detained two days before the arrival of the US Defence Secretary, who will ask Bulgaria to provide weapons to Ukraine. Accidentally, of course. We have yet to find out what exactly is going on, whether there have been any arrests, detainees or whether Borissov and his group are just being checked at the moment."

This is what the leader of "Vazrazhdane" party Kostadin Kostadinov wrote on Facebook regarding the detention of Boyko Borissov and other members of GERB in a police operation.

Menda Stoyanova, GERB

The former chair of the budget committee in Parliament, Menda Stoyanova, commented in a telephone conversation for BNT that she was shocked by what happened tonight.

She explained that she was at home and had learned about everything from the TV. She was not wanted by the police, nor was she detained.

She herself has no explanation and, in her words, has no connection with EU funds and EU projects.

At the beginning of February, Menda Stoyanova was questioned in the police on a signal from Boets (Bulgaria United for One Goal) civic movement.

Temenuzhka Petkova, GERB

We learn what is happening from the media, former energy minister and current GERB MP Temenuzhka Petkova told BNT.

She said that in a state governed by the rule of law things cannot happen this way.

Petkova also added that if necessary she would stay in front of the building of the National Police until the whole truth is made known.

GERB supporters are in front of the General Directorate of the National Police, where party leader Boyko Borissov was taken. Tomorrow, March 18, at 9 am, in front of the Council of Ministers, the party is organising a protest in support of the detained politicians.

There is still no official information on whether the GERB leader is in the police building. For more than two hours there are supporters of the party in front of the building. At 00.20 some of them insisted on entering the police station.

"I don't know where Mr Borissov is, apart from that fiasco of an operation they carried out at his home in the middle of the night, plain-clothed officers entering to do something they call a search. After that, we don't know what happened," GERB youth organisation chairman Georg Georgiev told BNT.

Earlier, former Health Minister, Kostadin Angelov, told media that a protest in front of the Council of Ministers has been announced for tomorrow morning starting at 9.00 am.

"We are talking about a peaceful protest and all people who defend democracy should declare it in front of the Council of Ministers tomorrow at 9.00 am," Kostadin Angelov called.

"Let's all defend democracy and oppose brutal police tactics," said former sports minister Krasen Kralev.

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