Senior Bulgaria politician corruption probed

Bulgarian prosecutors have launched a probe into alleged corruption of a senior politician, who quit party and state posts last week.

On Sunday, 57-year-old Hristo Biserov resigned as deputy leader of the Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party, a coalition partner in the Socialist-led government, as well as the deputy speaker of parliament.

On Thursday, the prosecutors announced that they are investigating Biserov over possible tax fraud and money laundering after the state security agency released a report showing numerous money transfers in euros and US dollars made between the bank accounts of Biserov and his stepson in different European countries.

“Sofia City Prosecutors have opened a pre-trial investigation against Hristo Biserov for tax fraud and money laundering,” it said, adding, “Money was also put into deposits, withdrawn and transferred to offshore companies registered in the Seychelles, the prosecutor’s office.”

According to local media, the sum of money in question amounted to 333,000 euros ($450,000).

Also on Thursday, members of parliament voted on his resignation while he did not participate in the session.

Meanwhile, MRF leader Luytvi Mestan said that he was not aware of the security agency’s checks into Biserov but that the investigation could explain his resignation.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski has counted on Biserov for his support. However, Oresharski has encountered public demands for his resignation from thousands of angry Bulgarians, who seek an end to corruption in politics.

The current Bulgarian government came to power in May after the previous government fell in February following massive protests over low living standards and high utility bills in one of the poorest European Union countries.