Bulgarian Minister Resigns over Controversial Energy Deal

 Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova submitted her resignation on Friday in order to "erase all doubts" about a deal that saw the assets of the largest private energy company in Bulgaria, CEZ, sold to a family-owned business to which she allegedly has ties.

"I talked to the prime minister and I believe that in this situation, this is the only dignified decision," Petkova told a press conference.  

CEZ, the Czech national energy firm, on Thursday agreed to sell its Bulgarian assets to the Bulgarian company Inercom, which maintains three solar power stations in the country.

Inercom, owned by Ginka Varbakova and registered in Pazardzhik, offered 320 million euros for CEZ's assets in Bulgaria, which include its energy distribution business, trade business and a couple of small renewable energy parks, with a total turnover of 50 million levs, or 25 million euros, according to Capital weekly.

Petkova confirmed that she knows the Varbakovis, but wasn't the maid of honour at their wedding, as local media have claimed.

"I don't want any suspicions and I don't want the name of the prime minister involved at all," she added.

Earlier on Friday, former energy minister and governing GERB party MP Delyan Dobrev told Nova TV that the National Security Service might investigate the deal, as the company that is buying the CEZ assets "is not a strategic investor".

"I can't believe that a company from Pazardzhik with 90,000 leva [45,000 euros] of assets might buy off one third of the Bulgarian energy grid and the largest energy business in the country," Dobrev said.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is currently abroad and has not commented on Petkova's resignation, or confirmed if he will accept it.

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