Inquiry Panel on Gripen is Anti-Radev Panel

The inquiry committee is actually an anti-Radev committee, the President's chief secretary, Col. Dimitar Stoyanov, told BTV's morning show regarding the parliamentary committee created to check into the selection of a new fighter.
It is an anti-Radev committee because the entire process was manipulated by Mr. Tsvetanov, Stoyanov sa

id in reference to the deputy chairman of ruling party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB/GERB). According to Stoyanov, there were constant suggestions about high-level corruption and pressure by the Presidential institution over the caretaker government and the committee assessing the offers. There is no corruption, so there is no point of doing this, he commented, and described the inquiry committee as a permanent tribunal in the Parliament for CEDB to attack President Rumen Radev.

Stoyanov confirmed the President's view that there is a battle between lobbyists and aviators and went on saying that there is a battle between laymen and professionals. "We saw laymen statements in many (TV) studios, in mass media, ex-president Plevneliev also took part, commenting on the need of buying F-16 at the expense of the other two offers," the chief secretary said. He suggested the comments were one-sided, focused on why F-16 was disqualified, while nobody asked why Eurofighter was ranked second after Gripen.

In response to allegations for a hastiness by the President, he emphasised on concrete deadlines, set by the previous government of CEDB, for assessment of the offers./FOCUS News Agency