Questioning of Kardzhali mayor sparks protest

Kardzhali mayor Erol Myumyun was taken in for police questioning as part of an investigation into alleged abuse of office, prompting protests by supporters of DPS, the party led by Delyan Peevski. According to Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Myumyun, who is also the deputy chairman of DPS, was giving testimony in a pre-trial investigation into alleged large-scale misconduct in public office. Searches were also carried out at the municipality building.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said that investigators were gathering evidence relating to a public procurement contract worth over 2.5 million euros. According to the minister, there were indications of interference in the selection of a contractor, and not all contracted activities had been completed.

"If the mayor of Kardzhali has not committed any crimes or violations, he has no reason to worry," said Demerdzhiev. He also called for the resignation of regional prosecutor Dafin Kamenov, accusing him of obstructing procedural actions.

Supporters of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party gathered outside the regional police headquarters in Kardzhali. They described the questioning of the mayor on the second day of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayram) as disrespectful towards Bulgaria’s Turkish and Muslim communities.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov

Edited and posted in English by E. Radkova