Bulgaria's Ex IntMin Secretary Denies Using Office for Political Appointments

Former Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov has described his dismissal as an instance of "lawlessness" and has repeatedly argued he was pressured into stepping down.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev earlier this week signed a decree dismissing Kostov, who had been appointed in 2015 under the previous government.

Caretaker Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdzhikov, interim Interior Minister Plamen Uzunov and other officials had accused him of making political appointments through his influence on the ministry.

Kostov, however, told private broadcaster NOVA on Saturday he had not been entitled to dismissing or appointing anyone while in office as he had been barred to do so by the law.

A chief secretary is in charge of running the Interior Ministry, Bulgaria's biggest employer with tens of thousands of police and plainclothes staff, on a daily basis and oversees all of its activities, reporting directly to the minister in charge.

He or she has substantial responsibility during police operations, in case of crisis and disaster response, and during elections.