Spanish police confirm investigation into Bulgarian PM Borissov – reports
Spanish police have confirmed that they are investigating Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov but said that until the investigation is concluded, they could not give further details, news website Sega said on February 21.
This follows allegations in the el Periodico newspaper that police in the Catalonia autonomous region in Spain were investigating whether Borissov was linked to an “international money laundering scheme”.
Over three pages, el Periodico detailed allegations regarding Borislava Yovcheva and her father, and two companies said to have received more than five million euro since 2013 from “non-Spanish natural persons”.
The report alleged that Yovcheva’s “possible relationship with Borisov is being carefully examined.”
It outlined allegations regarding a villa in Barcelona and a Porsche Macan that Yovcheva reportedly had been seen driving. Yovcheva and her father had not specified legal income on the basis of which they could afford such a standard of living, the article claimed.
Police in Catalonia had asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate the incomes, tax payments and banking records of Yovcheva, her father and five others, the report said. It said that the investigation had begun following allegations made to the Spanish police by the Boets civic movement in Bulgaria.
On February 21, Borissov, who repeatedly has denied claims of ownership of a luxury property in Barcelona and has threatened court action regarding allegations in this connection, told journalists that he neither owned a house nor any other real estate in Barcelona.
“I’ve said this a hundred times so far, and I am saying it again. I don’t know why my name is involved,” Borissov said.
He said that he must have been to Barcelona about 15 years ago, when he was mayor of Sofia.
“I have nothing to do with these companies. Some people I haven’t seen for 20 years. No service, authority, prosecutor or police has sought me out to ask if these things are true,” Borissov said.
