“Yes, Bulgaria” Reports Alleged Vote-Buying in Pazardzhik to Interior Ministry, Prosecutor’s Office, and Anti-Corruption Commission

Co-chairpersons of “Yes, Bulgaria”, Ivaylo Mirchev and Bozhidar Bozhanov, have filed a complaint with the Minister of the Interior Daniel Mitov, the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office, and the Commission for Counteracting Corruption, following multiple reports of alleged vote-buying during the municipal council elections held this Sunday in Pazardzhik Municipality, the party’s press office announced on October 15.

“Yes, Bulgaria” is requesting the authorities to carry out a comprehensive and thorough investigation to establish clearly and decisively all circumstances and abuses, many of which were broadcast live on national television and social media.

The most striking footage reportedly came from the village of Ognyanovo.

The party is demanding a formal investigation and clear responses to specific questions, including:

Was it appropriate and lawful, when detaining the individuals in question under the procedure and conditions of Article 155 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), to carry out an inspection of the crime scene?

Should a search and seizure of the vehicles, as well as a personal search of the detained individuals, have been conducted under Article 159 of the CPC?

We insist that the competent authorities verify whether there is any evidence of unlawful conduct and/or criminal activity in the searches of the vehicles and personal searches of the identified individuals, as well as the seizure of the lists of names contained in the now-public “red notebook” found with one of the individuals. These actions clearly do not follow the procedures stipulated in the CPC. Why, in this case, did the logical next step—notably, initiating a pre-trial investigation—fail to follow?

• Are records available within the Ministry of Interior or other competent institutions detailing the 50 BGN banknotes seized?
• How many were there, and has ownership been established? What is the lawful origin of these banknotes?
• Were the names of witnesses present at the scene recorded, and were they interviewed?
• Were the actions of the officials on site lawful, given that they immediately concluded there was no evidence of a crime? Can a credible check be conducted so quickly if there is a lack of willingness or intent to collect evidence?

Regarding the anti-corruption commision, given the risk of private interests influencing voters’ free will, the party considers it necessary for the Commission to conduct a full investigation under the Law on Counteracting Corruption. This should include requesting all relevant materials from the Ministry of Interior, the Prosecutor’s Office, and other agencies; tracing the origin and movement of the identified funds; investigating potential benefits; comparing findings with the asset and interest declarations of any implicated public officials; analysing conflicts of interest, corruption pressure, or dependencies; identifying funding channels (if any) and potential intermediaries; and taking appropriate administrative measures and sanctions.