Traffic Police Chief in Blagoevgrad and Five Other Officers Have Been Arrested
The Director of Traffic Police, Blagoevgrad, Danail Stoitzov, and five other officials were detained on 22nd of May in an operation following an alert for bribe taking...
The Director of Traffic Police, Blagoevgrad, Danail Stoitzov, and five other officials were detained on 22nd of May in an operation following an alert for bribe taking.
Representatives of the specialised prosecutor's office, the State Agency for National Security, the Economic Police and the Internal Security Directorate of the Ministry of Interior atook part in the specialized operation. The most likely reason for the arrests are suspected corruption schemes in the Traffic police in the city of Blagoevgrad.
The police officers are still being interviewed and evidence is being seized. Phones of the officials have also been seized.
All detainees will be transported to Sofia, where the authorities will continue their work to identify their involvement in the corruption scheme.
A retired policeman, Nikolai Dogandhiiski, nicknamed Kolevetsa, is among those arrested. For several years, he has been involved in vehicle registration. 200 BGN was the cost of the service so that people did not have to wait at various counters. He and his wife have an insurance office located in front of the Traffic Police building in Blagoevgrad.
Ivan Hambardzhiyski, owner of a local information website, claims he had filed an alert three months ago. He has received complaints from members of the public that police have been involved in a bribe taking scheme. In his words, the traffic police employees worked with intermediaries for the quick registration of cars and obtaining registration number plates at customer's choice.
If you want a nice number - you pay 100 BGN per plate. Without the knowledge of the Chief of Traffic Police, this cannot happen, because he is the person who issues the permits for such number plates, two plus two identical digits, three identical digits ..., Hambardhiyski explained.
Danail Stoitsev, Director of Traffic Police-Blagoevgrad: I know 15 people who are engaged in such activity. Is there a scheme? No. I am innocent. From now the court wiill decide - I feel innocent.
