Bulgartabac Holding director Hristo Lachev said on May 2 that National Investigation Service head Angel Alexandrov asked him for a bribe.

According to Lachev, Alexandrov tried to blackmail him and the head of Bulgartabac’s board of managers Kornelia Ninova, who is also Deputy Economy and Energy Minister.

Alexandrov denied the accusations. He said that he would ask the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to investigate the case, mediapool.bg said.

The three officials involved in the controversy accuse each other of corruption, blackmail and threatening.

Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev said that Sofia City Prosecution launched investigation already. Everyone involved in the case will have to testify.

Economy and Energy Minister Ropumen Ovcharov was also mentioned. Alexandrov said that a powerful person threatened him. He hinted that that person might be Ovcharov.

Ovcharov said that Alexandrov’s behaviour was dangerous.