In connection with the initiated case for extortion of Vasil Bozhkov, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPO) informs as follows:
Today, March 28, 2022, Boyko Borisov, Vladislav Goranov and Sevdalina Arnaudova were questioned as witnesses by a prosecutor and an investigator in SCPO. Thew appeared at the SCPO building and testified after being regularly summoned last week.
Boyko Borissov, Vladislav Goranov and Sevdalina Arnaudova, as well as other witnesses, are being repeatedly questioned, as the interrogations by an investigating police officer at the General Directorate National Police are not legitimate because they were conducted by an incompetent body.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr Kiril Petkov, is to be questioned again.
We also recall that the SCPO has prepared a proposal to the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office, International Department, to send a mutual legal assistance request to the United Arab Emirates, based on the principle of reciprocity, with the aim of questioning Vasil Bozhkov as a witness by videoconference. The principle of reciprocity means that the UAE should consider whether to accept the request for execution on the basis of this principle. A condition for the acceptance of the request is the assessment of the UAE for the admissibility of such an interrogation in accordance with their legislation.
Only in this way it is possible to collect testimony in a lawful manner, as a connection through technical means only - Skype, Viber, etc., would not produce legal effects and the collected data could not be used as evidence.
Investigative actions continue through interrogations of other witnesses, through inspections, attachment of documents, etc.
The SCPO regularly informs the Bulgarian society about the course of events in the case, given the great public interest and in accordance with the permission given by the supervising prosecutor:
https://prb.bg/en/news/57933-press-release
https://prb.bg/en/news/57185-press-release-of-sofia-city-prosecutor%E2%80%99s-office
SCPO will further give information to the Bulgarian society on a regular basis.