WCC driver freed after 'politically motivated' arrest
Lachezar Stavrev, a bodyguard and driver for We Continue the Change (WCC) co-chair Assen Vassilev, was freed without charge on Thursday after spending 76 days in pre-trial detention. He was arrested in December 2023 during a joint operation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (CPC) and the Prosecutor's Office, which many saw as part of a broader political attack on WCC.
His name surfaced in leaked testimony by former Customs Agency chief Petya Bankova, alleging that Vassilev ignored corruption signals and made personnel decisions through Stavrev and Zhanna Tokova, the chief of Vassilev's cabinet. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, Stavrev remained detained on grounds that his release could lead to obstruction of justice-a claim widely seen as politically motivated.
BSP defends disputed nominee
"BSP is a predictable and reliable partner, but we will not allow outside interference," said BSP's Kiril Dobrev in defense of Rossen Karadimov, the left's nominee for Chairman of the Commission for Protection of Competition.His nomination triggered tensions within the ruling coalition-first with Dogan's faction refusing support, then with the resignation of GERB MP Kostadin Angelov, and finally with demands to halt all regulatory appointments.
Attempting to defuse the situation, Boyko Borissov stated that GERB would back Karadimov, but only if BSP publicly defended him, which never happened. Instead, Dobrev gave a brief 56-second statement, refused questions, and ignored concerns over Karadimov's ties to sanctioned politician Delyan Peevski, a 115 mln euro loan from the Bulgarian Development Bank for a Halkidiki hotel, and electoral discrepancies identified by the Constitutional Court.
Hemus Highway incurred 4-year delay
Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov conceded that the construction permit for nearly 14 km of the Hemus Highway, which he signed in early February, had been stalled for the past four years. Speaking in Parliament about the construction of Lot 4, he stated that he could not explain why the permit had not been issued earlier, though construction could have started as early as 2022.
The newly approved section, stretching from Drenov Junction near Doyrentsi to Letnitsa Junction, is expected to be completed by 2026, with another section between Boaza and Dermantsi opening this summer. Ivanov also revealed that all necessary permits were ready in 2021, yet no further inspections were conducted until now, and he expects the entire highway to be completed by 2029.
WCC driver freed after 'politically motivated' arrest
Lachezar Stavrev, a bodyguard and driver for We Continue the Change (WCC) co-chair Assen Vassilev, was freed without charge on Thursday after spending 76 days in pre-trial detention. He was arrested in December 2023 during a joint operation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (CPC) and the Prosecutor's Office, which many saw as part of a broader political attack on WCC.
