The Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office accuses the former Energy Minister for cost overruns in the purchase of Russian gas

8 Feb. () –

The Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office has accused the former Energy Minister, Alexander Nikolov, and some of his deputies, of having bought Russian gas for up to 30 percent more than its value, thus causing millions in losses to the national gas company, Bulgargaz.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Nikolov would have generated losses of 88 million Bulgarian leva –close to 45 million euros– to the state gas supplier in the period immediately after the suspension of supplies from Russia, at the end of April 2022.

According to the spokesperson for the Prosecutor’s Office, Biskera Stoyanova, the case is especially serious, since Bulgargaz’s activity as a public provider and the provision of reliability and security of supplies were threatened, reports ‘Dnevnik’.

Following an investigation by the National Security Agency, the Bulgarian authorities accuse Nikolov of having authorized the purchase of Russian gas through intermediaries and at a price 30 percent higher after the suspension of supplies from Gazprom.

Nikolov has gone this Wednesday to testify before the National Investigation Service, dependent on the Prosecutor’s Office, where he has defended his innocence and honesty throughout all the years that he has served as a minister.

Likewise, the former Minister of Energy has highlighted that Bulgaria “did not comply with the extortions of Gazprom and Russia”, who saw how the Western powers broke their gas supply contracts in response to the invasion of Ukraine.