Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

National Customs Agency head Petya Bankova detained for 72 hours

Petya Bankova
Photo: BTA

National Customs Agency Director General Petya Bankova has been detained for 72 hours, the Bulgarian news agency BTA has reported.

Bankova’s lawyer Adelina Natina told reporters that her client had been charged with participation in an organized criminal group for trading in influence, contraband, bribery, together with three other people whom she does not know. Adelina Natina stated, that in an informal conversation, employees of the counter-corruption commission told her that the home of Zhivko Kotsev, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, had been searched. Earlier today, Zhivko Kotsev submitted his resignation. Natina also showed the decision by the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office with the charges against Petya Bankova. The other people who have been charged are Stefan Dimitrov, Marin Dimitrov and Nikola Nikolov, while Bankova’s deputy Lyudmil Marinov has been released. Lawyer Adelina Natina stated further that Bankova does not know the other people who have been charged with participation in a criminal group and added the prosecutor’s office could demand that the court issue a pre-trial detention order for Bankova. Adelina Natina confirmed that ten people had been arrested during yesterday’s operation, but that charges have only been leveled against four of them. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria to build balancing power plants in the Balkans

Increasing energy connectivity between countries in the region of Southeast Europe will reduce electricity prices, increase competitiveness and security of supply . This was stated by Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov at the Energy Summit, organized by the..

published on 2/26/25 10:36 AM

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev speaks with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Bulgaria

The common will and economic potential of the two countries are important prerequisites for the upward development of bilateral relations, said President Rumen Radev at a meeting with the Ambassador of Vietnam Do Hoang Long . The meeting was also..

published on 2/26/25 10:15 AM
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (right) and the secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization visits Bulgaria

The prospects for developing the significant potential of tourism in Bulgaria were discussed at a meeting between the Bulgarian Head of State Rumen Radev and the Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili. The..

published on 2/26/25 9:15 AM