The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPA) has submitted an indictment in a pretrial investigation against Kiril Petkov, a Member of Parliament and co-chair of the political party "PP-DB."

Until now, Petkov had been under the measure of "signature" as a precautionary measure. According to the prosecution, Petkov exceeded his authority when he ordered the arrest of Boyko Borissov, Vladislav Goranov, and Sevdalina Arnaudova three years ago, as reported by a BGNES journalist.

Today, the prosecution presented the official statement regarding the charge:

Petkov is being prosecuted for exceeding his authority on March 17, 2022, in Sofia, in his capacity as a public official holding a responsible position – Prime Minister. The charges include:

Ordering the head and deputy head of the “Investigation and Methodological Guidance Department” at the General Directorate “National Police” (GDNP), as well as the chief investigating officer in the department, to immediately initiate a pretrial investigation in violation of the law, without having the authority to do so.
The investigation was to begin with the first investigative action – questioning Petkov as a witness, even though there was no legal basis for this.
Failing to notify the prosecutor immediately about the initiated pretrial investigation, contrary to the provisions of Article 212, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Conducting searches and seizures during the night in the homes of Boyko Borissov, Vladislav Goranov, and Sevdalina Arnaudova, without prior court authorization, without urgency, and without these actions being the only way to gather and preserve evidence.
The crime is classified under Article 282, paragraph 2, in relation to paragraph 1 of the Penal Code.

Kiril Petkov is also accused of exceeding his authority as Prime Minister by instructing the director and deputy director of the GDNP on March 17, 2022, to order subordinate police authorities to detain Borissov, Goranov, and Arnaudova for up to 24 hours under the Ministry of Interior Act, with the intent to harm their reputation and good name in society. This resulted in significant damage to the state, including undermining the prestige of the executive power. This is also a crime under Article 282, paragraph 2, in relation to paragraph 1 of the Penal Code.

More than 40 individuals have been questioned as witnesses in the pretrial investigation, video recordings have been added, and other evidence has been collected.

In connection with the investigation, at the proposal of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, in December 2024, the acting Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria submitted a request to the 51st National Assembly to lift the immunity of MP Petkov.

The Sofia City Court is expected to schedule a preliminary hearing for the case. | BGNES