Press release of the Sofia Military Prosecutor's Office

9 July 2020

Press release of the Sofia Military Prosecutor's Office

Today, July 9, 2020, teams of military investigators and prosecutors, following the permission of a judge of the Sofia Military Court, are carrying out searches and seizures at three addresses located in Sofia. The actions of the investigation are being carried out in pre-trial proceedings, initiated for a crime under Art.357 of the Penal Code - disclosure of a state secret.

By orders of the bodies of the Ministry of Interior, detained for 24 hours were M.K. - former employee of the State Intelligence Agency and I.M. - Adviser to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. Initially, I.M. was questioned as a witness. After a computer-technical expertise of a phone seized from him, it was established that the device contained information concerning the State Agency for Technical Operations. He voluntarily handed over four documents, which were illegally exported by the State Intelligence Agency. According to the Agency, the documents contain information constituting a state secret. He explained that he had found the documents in box at his office in the presidential administration building. This has necessitated investigative actions in the presidential administration building as well.

The supervising prosecutors are yet to assess whether charges will be filed and measures taken to keep the detainees in custody. There are also two other persons in the pre-trial proceedings /P.V. and A.Z. /, brought in as defendants, against whom measures of restraint "house arrest" were taken.