PM Denkov demands resignation of SANS chair

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov demanded the resignation of State Agency for National Security (SANS) Chair Plamen Tonchev, Denkov said at a briefing at the Council of Ministers on Friday evening.

The government coordinates the work of the services, the Prime Minister said, adding that he had lost confidence in the SANS leadership.

“Let the second round of local elections be over. We need the leaders of the parties to sit down and decide how we will move forward,” Denkov commented on the future governance of the country and the relations between the parties in the ruling majority.

The Prime Minister said that, in response to his official request, today he expected SANS chair Plamen Tonchev to present a reasoned proposal for the early dismissal of the agency's deputy chair Denyo Denev. Instead of the expected proposal, Denkov received a refusal for "lack of arguments". The Prime Minister reminded that Denev was the author of the so-called SANS report of 26 October, containing, in his words, unverified and manipulative allegations and suggestions. With this report, SANS started the sabotage against the machine voting in the first round of the elections, according to the Prime Minister.

He said the State Commission on Information Security described the SANS report as an unlawful activity against public order. “The refusal of the SANS chairman to dismiss his deputy after he failed to provide me with a report on potential risks requested by me before the election sends clear signals,” Denkov said. 

“The first is that [SANS chair] Tonchev approves of [deputy chair] Denev's illegal actions. The second is that he has no objection to the malicious use of this report to destabilise the electoral process,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he sees these actions as a deliberate blow to national security and democracy in Bulgaria. According to him, this is yet another case in which the SANS chair is not fulfilling his duties, and that is why he had sent President Radev his reasons for dismissing Plamen Tonchev as head of SANS.

The Prime Minister gave several other reasons for his decision. “A week ago, Bulgaria entered the grey list for money laundering. SANS is the main coordinating institution for the implementation of the recommendations of the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism - MONEYVAL. Its chairman bears personal responsibility. It is obvious that SANS has failed in its coordinating role in this task,” Denkov said.

Denkov also pointed to the SANS position of May 30 in the National Assembly, with which, according to him, the agency made unacceptable political comments. The position sent to the media on September 23, which contained political assessments against the political system in the country and against specific political figures, was also a violation, Denkov said. He added that these positions contradict the legal and ethical norms under which the agency operates, according to which SANS is obliged to work impartially and objectively in full political neutrality.

During the protests in the energy sector, which has a direct bearing on national security, the Prime Minister did not receive any advance information from SANS, while there was a need for such information. Denkov also mentioned the failure of the National Assembly to adopt the SANS annual report for 2022, which is a precedent and means the agency has not met the expectations of the majority of its controlling body - Parliament.

According to Denkov, all these facts show that under the current leadership of SANS the sustainability of the national security system cannot be guaranteed.

There is no coordination and trust between the government and the SANS leadership at the moment, Denkov added.

In response to a question whether he has in mind a new candidacy for the chairmanship of SANS, he replied that he does not.

Asked by Bulgarian National Radio what measures Cabinet would take after Russia ordered BNR's correspondent in Moscow to leave the country, Denkov said that Russia can send another journalist who is not engaged in espionage activities to Bulgaria. “Given that this one was carrying out illegal activities, he should have been expelled from Bulgaria," he added.

"There is no problem for them to send someone else. If they have similar evidence about our journalist, then let's discuss. But if they are expelling him to send a political message, that has nothing to do with journalism," the Prime Minister said.