Resigned Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov has also filed a resignation from his position as a prosecutor, said Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov.

Monday Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council convenes to discuss the disciplinary measures to take up against Kokinov.

According to Tsatsarov, the Council is not regulatorily allowed to approve Kokinov's resignation from the prosecutor's seat, once a disciplinary procedure against him has started.

The Council is however expected to approve Kokinov's resignation from the position of head of the Sofia City Prosecution.

The prosecutor was one of the actors in a scandalous recorded conversation that was leaked to the public end of last week, also including former Bulgarian PM and current GERB party leader Boyko Borisov, and former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov.

In the conversation, Kokoninov, Borisov and Naydenov are heard discussing ways to impede court procedings against Naydenov, who has been charged with abuse of power.

Commentators believe that part of the conversation might constitute the crime of attempting to thwart justice.

The conversation also gained notoriety with the rampant use of profanity and blatantly politically incorrect speech.

Nikolay Kokinov filed his resignation as Sofia City Prosecutor hours after the recording was leaked on Friday.

The tape leak comes in the context of a wider 'Watergate'-style scandal shaking Bulgaria after the prosecution revealed findings showing that the Ministry of Interior under former minister and GERB vice-chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov practiced massive use of special surveillance devices in violation of regulations.

Opposition leaders have commented that GERB has used its term in office to spy on political and economic opponents.

The scandal has contributed to an increasingly sharp campaign leading up to the May 12 early parliamentary elections.

A deadlly bombing attack has occured in Syrian capital Damascus directed against PM Wael Al-Halqi, who has survived it, according to reports.

According to the Syrian National TV, the explosion went off near a school in the south-western Damascus district of Mezzeh.

There are reports of people dead from the attack, but no numbers are available yet.

Expect details.

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov has confirmed that the prosecution will summon former PM Boyko Borisov to witness regarding the scandalous leaked conversation he apparently participated in.

"I have no intention whatsoever to wait and to make the prosecution hostage to anyone's political interests, much less to make it part of the play for upcoming elections," stated Tsatsarov at a press event Monday.

This is the first comment on the part of the Chief Prosecutor regarding the latest developments of the so-called wiretapping or "Watergate" scandal going on in Bulgaria.

Boyko Borisov, who still chairs former ruling GERB party, was one of the actors in a scandalous recorded conversation that was leaked to the public Friday, also including now resigned Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov, and former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov.

In the conversation, Kokoninov, Borisov and Naydenov are heard discussing ways to impede court procedings against Naydenov, who has been charged with abuse of power.

"The prosecution has already started an investigation on this conversation," said Tsatsarov Monday.

"It is to be determined whether the exchanges constitute a crime against justice, and/ or an abuse of office," added he.

"The prosecution cannot simply stand and wait, it must do its work," stated Tsatsarov.

The development comes in the context of a wider 'Watergate'-style scandal shaking Bulgaria after the prosecution revealed findings showing that the Ministry of Interior under former minister and GERB vice-chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov practiced massive use of special surveillance devices in violation of regulations.

Opposition leaders have commented that GERB has used its term in office to spy on political and economic opponents. The scandal has contributed to an increasingly sharp campaign leading up to the May 12 early parliamentary elections.

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov has expressed his dismay at the latest developments in the wiretapping scandal shaking the country.

Monday Tsatsarov made his first statement regarding a leaked conversation among former PM Boyko Borisov, ex Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov and now resigned Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov.

In the conversation, the three discuss ways to thwart ongoing proceedings against Naydenov, who has been charged with abuse of power.

In another highly questionable move, Kokinov is heard revealing to his interlocutors yet unpublished details of an investigation that found massive violations in the use of special surveillance devices under Borisov and his Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

"I never expected that so many events will happen since my appointment as Chief Prosecutor on January 10," said Tsatsarov Monday.

"I never expected that these events can put the prosecution to such a great test, or that they will have to do with such deep problems of public life," added he.

"In the end of the day, I never expected that for little over three months things will happen that have failed to happen for years," said the Chief Prosecutor.

Tsatsarov was resolute that the prosecution will do everything required to ascertain the truth regarding the recorded conversations, and to formally charge everyone who is revealed to have engaged in criminal activities.

The Chief Prosecutor also stated that he will not allow the prosecution to "become hostage" to political processes, including upcoming May 12 early general elections.

Ex PM Boyko Borisov is leader of Bulgaria's former ruling GERB party, while former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov is his aide, also serving as GERB's election campaign manager.

Bulgaria had the lowest ratio of government expenditure on education to GDP among the EU27 in 2011, according to Eurostat data.

Bulgaria's government expenditure on education amounted to a mere 3.6% of GDP in 2011, with 1.78% of the total spent on secondary education, according to reports of the statistical office of the EU.

In 2011, EU-27 total general government expenditure amounted to 49.1 % of GDP, with 5.3% of GDP (EUR 347 B) devoted to expenditure on education.

Of this, the highest shares were dedicated to 'secondary education' at 2.0 % of GDP and 'preprimary and primary education' at 1.7 % of GDP.

As a ratio to GDP, the highest levels of government expenditure on education among the reporting countries were found in Iceland (7.9 % of GDP), Denmark (7.8 % of GDP) and Cyprus (7.2 % of GDP).

The tensions in Bulgaria's Black Sea City of Varna have escalated Monday after the dismissal of interim Mayor Hristo Bozov.

Bozov was dismissed on the request of a group of municipal councilmen after spending only a month at the post as he took the oath of office on March 27.

The 33 municipal councilmen who logged the declaration against Bozov grounded it on him failing to fulfill his duties.

The initiative was started by Ivan Portnih, who is also a regional coordinator for the centrist Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, and the likely GERB mayoral nomination, and the two deputy chairmen of the Municipal Council, Yanko Stefanov and Vladimir Tonev.

Portnih said the City Hall needed more radical changes than what Bozov was doing.

The news stirred outrage among representatives of protesting Varna residents who were present in the room. They hissed and shouted demands for the immediate resignation of the entire Municipal Council.

One of them, Mladen Zhivkov, is quoted in saying the municipal councilmen wanted Bozov removed because he interfered with their graft plans as probes ordered by the interim Mayor prevented them from receiving their "brokerage fees."

Bozov hinted that initially he had no plans to run for mayor, but the developments have forced him the change his mind. He stated he was leaving office with a crystal clean conscience.

Architect Dimitar Nikolov is the new interim Mayor. He was the Deputy Mayor for EU Affairs.

He said the news caught him by surprise and he was to yet outline his priorities,

Nikolov, however, stressed the City Hall needed some staff reshuffles and vowed to continue and speed up the probes.

A large explosion has damaged badly a building in downtown Prague Monday morning with people trapped underneath the rubble.

The area around the explosion in Divadelni St in the Czech capital has been sealed off by police. At least a dozen people have been injured by the blast, eyewitnesses and emergency services say, cited by BBC.

Police say that the blast, which blew the windows out of nearby buildings, was most likely caused by a gas leak.

The site of the explosion is close to the Vlatva river, and near the country's National Theatre.

A reader of Bulgarian online news agency OFFNews has reported the number of injured has reached 40 already. There are no reports of fatalities at the moment.

Expect further details.

Bulgaria's energy sector remains one of the major sources of emissions of sulfur dioxide and the main source of nitrous oxide emissions, according to a report for 2011.

Bulgaria's energy sector generated 79.9% of the total of greenhouse gas emissions in 2011, according to a nationwide report on environmental conservation prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Executive Environment Agency.

The report was presented Monday at a briefing attended by Yulian Popov, caretaker Minister of Environment and Water.

According to the report, the most important sources of adverse environmental impact in 2011 were the consumption of energy and natural resources by the economic sectors, the emissions and effluents into air, water or soil and waste disposal.

Road transport was also associated with an increased consumption of fuel and harmful emissions in the atmosphere, emissions of ozone precursors, and fine dust particles.

The sector accounted for 91.5% of the total of energy consumption.

Agriculture was also a major source of emissions of harmful gases, the main pollutants being ammonia, 74%, and non-methane volatile organic compounds, 11% of the country's emissions.

According to the report, all of these factors constituted a serious threat to human health and were the main reasons for the deteriorating condition of ecosystems.

The share of the population exposed to concentrations of fine dust particles above the normal reached 51%, the worst affected cities being Pernik, Vidin and Vratsa.

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor, Sotir Tsatsarov, stated Monday that he had no doubt that the scandalous tapes leaked to the media Friday are authentic.

Tsatsarov spoke before the Supreme Judicial Council, VSS, regarding a leaked recording of the conversation among former PM Boyko Borisov, ex Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov and now-resigned Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov.

In the conversation, the three discuss ways to thwart ongoing proceedings against Naydenov, who has been charged with corruption and abuse of power.

In another highly questionable move, Kokinov is heard revealing to the others yet unpublished details of a prosecution investigation that found massive violations in the use of special surveillance devices under Borisov and his Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The VSS Ethic's Commission is holding a sitting to examine Kokinov's resignation and his dealings.

"What is the most troubling for me is that is has emerged that Mr. Kokinov has practically reported the results of my office's probe in the tipoff of mass improper wiretapping in the country ahead of our official briefing, and that he possibly handed the written report from the probe to senior politicians," said Tsatsarov.

He informed that as early as Friday, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassations has launched an investigation to establish if the recorded conversation includes data of crimes against justice and of abuse of office.

"I have no doubt the tapes are authentic. I don't think anyone in their right mind would deny that such conversation has taken place. We need to establish now if this is the entire conversation, or only pieces of it," the Chief Prosecutor explained.

Commenting on Kokinov saying to Borisov in referring to Tsatsarov: "You handpicked him," he stated:

"I am not worried about it. It would be alarming if I chose to sit and not do anything. We have two options – to do our job or wait for our term in office to expire. I have no intentions to wait and make my office hostage of somebody's interests or, God forbid, a participant in the political games ahead of the upcoming general elections. The prosecution can no longer remain in waiting mode; it must do the job."

A failed kidnapping attempt has been made Monday morning in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

The Bulgarian National Radio reports that two unidentified businessmen have been attacked by three armed individuals around 10 am inside an underground parking garage on "Samokovsko Shosse" boulevard.

The incident occurred as the businessmen were getting in a car. Right then they saw the three assailants rushing in their direction. One of the businessmen took out a legally owned gun and fired at them upon which they fled.

The two alerted the Sofia Main Police Directorate, which say it could not yet officially confirm media reports that this has been an abduction attempt.

Police have sealed the scene and are searching it. They are also interrogating the victims of the attack.

Asen Vasilev, Bulgaria's caretaker Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, will award Tuesday an A Class Investor certificate to German Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH (BHTC), a leading manufacturer of automotive climate controls and thermalmanagement products.

BHTC is to invest BGN 42.5 M in a new enterprise and research and development center for manufacturing automotive climate controls in Bulgaria, according to the press office of the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism.

The construction works will start in the second quarter of 2013 in the Bozhurishte economic zone near Sofia on an area of 70 decares.

The plant is expected to start functioning in the spring of 2014 and to create 350 jobs.

Britain’s Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will visit Bulgaria on June 23-24on the invitation of Bulgarian President Rossen Plevneliev, it has been announced.

The British embassy in Sofia has clarified that the visit will be focused on Prince Edward’s charitable work, according to local media.

Their Royal Highnesses are expected to monitor the progress made so far in the implementation of the strategy for deinstitutionalisation in Bulgaria.

Prince Edward is also expected to declare his support for the efforts to establish the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in Bulgaria.

The strong explosion of a leaky gas pipe that caused significant damage of a building in downtown Prague on Monday has injured at least 40 people, according to police.

Local media report that one person is believed to have been killed in the blast.

The explosion, which occurred at around 9:56 am local time, shattered windows in the immediate area.

According to police officials, an initial investigation suggests the explosion was caused by a leaking gas pipe.

"According to preliminary information, we believe that up to four people suffered from severe injuries in the wake of the blast and most other injuries, totaling around 40, are light ones largely caused by cuts from shattered glass," Zdenek Schwarz, the head of Prague Emergency Medical Services, said, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Faculty of Social Sciences of Prague's Charles University and the Film and TV School of the Academy of Sciences of Performing Arts are located next to the damaged building.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has told reporters that he has agreed to be interrogated by prosecutors “only in order to find out who has been wiretapping him in the toilet.”

The former Prime Minister’s statement follows the latest scandalous recorded conversation that was leaked to the public Friday, in which Borisov, Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov and former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov are heard discussing ways to impede court procedings against Naydenov, who is charged with abuse of power.

The recording was apparently made in Borisov’s home in the residential district of Bankya. 
Apparently unperturbed by the content of the leaked conversation, Borisov expressed his anger at the conversation being secretly recorded.

“Everyone pees. Old people, young people, men and women. I want to know whether it is legal for them to put microphones in my toilet,” Borisov said on Monday.

The former PM referred to the fact the one of the three men, presumably Naydenov or Borisov, can be heard visiting the toilet during the recording.

Borisov also told reporters that he does not suspect Naydenov of having knowingly recorded the conversation.

The development comes in the context of a wider 'Watergate'-style scandal shaking Bulgaria after the prosecution revealed findings showing that the Ministry of Interior under former minister and GERB vice-chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov practiced massive use of special surveillance devices in violation of regulations.

Opposition leaders have commented that Borisov’s center-right GERB party has used its term in office to spy on political and economic opponents. The scandal has contributed to an increasingly sharp campaign leading up to the May 12 early parliamentary elections.

Controversial British politician and leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage has hit back at claims that his party is racist.

“There is nothing in Ukip that is in any way racist at all,” Farage has claimed, pointing out that UKip is the only party in Britain that does not allow all the members of the BNP to join it.

Farage responded to claims made by Ken Clarke over the weekend that his party was racist, where he also labelled Ukip candidates as clowns” and “indignant, angry people” and warned that they should not be allowed to control county councils in England.

Farage insisted Ukip was reflecting public concern about possible immigration from Bulgaria and Romania, whose citizens are free to work  in Britain without restrictions this year.

“They know that the British public are genuinely concerned about opening up the door to Bulgaria and Romania next year, he stated, as cited by Metro.

“They are concerned because we have a million youngsters unemployed, we have wages being driven down and I am afraid a crime wave in London being caused by Romanians already.”

A Channel 4 News video of Nigel Farage’s recent trip to Bulgaria can be seen HERE.

Meglena Kuneva, leader of the Bulgaria for Citizens Movement, has argued that the newly published scandalous transcripts of wiretapped conversations between former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov and former Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov, contain sufficient evidence of an offence against justice.

In a Tuesday interview for the BGNES news agency, Kuneva commented on the leaked conversation between Kokoninov, Borisov and Naydenov during which the three discuss ways of impeding court proceedings against Naydenov, who has been charged with malfeasance in office.

Kuneva claimed that it would best suit public interest to question all three people involved in the conversation.

The leader of the Bulgaria for Citizens Movement explained that the easiest way to hold the hearings would be for Borisov and Tsvetanov, MP candidates of center-right party GERB ("Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria") at the May 12 parliamentary elections, to give up their immunity.

"As to whether they should stay on GERB's lists of MP candidates, this is a decision of the party for which they are to take responsibility," she stated.

Asked to comment on the fact that former Interior Minister Tsvetanov had repeatedly hinted at a coalition of GERB and the Bulgaria for Citizens movement, Kuneva said she had never heard him mention such a partnership.

Bulgaria's former EU Commissioner also noted that the Bulgaria for Citizens Movement would stick to the decision made several months ago to not enter into coalition with GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), adding that the recent developments with the wiretapping scandal had proved the adequacy of the move.

The leaked transcripts of the conversations between Borisov, Naydenov, and Kokinov came against the backdrop of a wider 'Watergate'-style scandal involving alleged widespread unauthorized deployment of special surveillance devices against politicians and businessmen during the term in office of Tsvetan Tsvetanov as Interior Minister.

The scandal caused tension to escalate in the campaign leading up to the May 12 early parliamentary elections.

Bulgaria’s center-right GERB party leads the rival Socialists by a comfortable margin ahead of the early general elections on May 12, according to the latest poll.

The poll, conducted by the MBMD agency, suggests that some 28.3% of voters would support GERB, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party has 18.7%.

The ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the ultranationalist Ataka are each supported by 5.2%.

The Bulgaria for Citizens movement of former EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva is projected to garner 4.1%, which means that the party is likely to enter the next Parliament.

The nationalist National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria also stands a chance, according to MBMD.

At the end of March, a scandal flared among Bulgarian pollsters over MBMD poll results, giving a huge lead to GERB (30%) against BSP (16%).

The wiretapping saga, dubbed the "Bulgarian Watergate," is doggedly sending shockwaves in the country.

The season premiere, named "Tapegate," was in February 2011, when a number of secret recordings were made public, the most notorious one implicating former Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, in providing cover-up for tax breaches committed by the now-late owner of the "Ledenika" beer company, Mihail Mihov.

The second season, albeit delayed, was launched on March 28, 2012, when Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), submitted a tipoff to Chief Prosecutor, Sotir Tsatsarov, about mass unauthorized wiretapping of politicians, businessmen, and magistrates which had taken place under Borisov and his Deputy, former Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The prosecution's probe in the tipoff showed "two thirds" of the information in it was true.

The really potent "round two" in the season started last Friday, after a fresh batch of recordings leaked to the media, having the effect of a blast sweeping the executive and the judicial power.

The recordings revealed an outrageous and profane conversation between Borisov, former Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, and already-former Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov.

Despite the huge scandal in political circles and the media, "Tapegate" and "Watergate" have been both downplayed, with statements common Bulgarians do not care much about the recordings and are rather worried by the skyrocketing prices and the unemployment.

As we now have the full tapes, instead of transcribing the "drama," we will attempt to summarize for our readers the main things we learned from them.

"Cast":

Leading characters:

Boyko Borisov – former Prime Minister of Bulgaria

Miroslav Naydenov – former Agriculture Minister

Nikolay Kokinov – former Sofia City Prosecutor

Supporting Characters (people mentioned in the conversation):

Sotir Tsatsarov – Chief Prosecutor

Bozhidar Dzhambazov – Deputy Sofia City Prosecutor, Head of the Special Unit dealing with EU Funds Fraud

Roman Vasilev – Deputy Sofia City Prosecutor

Nikola Filchev – former Chief Prosecutor

Margarita Popova – Vice President of Bulgaria, former Prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassations, former Justice Minister in the GERB Cabinet

Kalina Ilieva – former CEO of the State Fund Agriculture, dealing with payments of funds from the EU SAPARD program, sentenced to probation for forging her own university diploma

Svetoslav Simeonov, former CEO of the State Fund Agriculture and key witness against Naydenov

Diana Damyanovoa – owner of the PR Agency "D&D" and spokesperson for Lukoil Bulgaria

Ana Ruscheva – PR of media mogul Krasimir Gergov

Boyan (Tomov) – Operational Director of Standard daily, currently PR Advisor of caretaker Transport Minister, Kristian Krastev

Svetlana Dzhamdzhieva – Editor-in-Chief of Trud (Labor) daily

Sasho – the Capital daily writes this is most likely Alexander Staliyski, (initially erroneously named in media reports Stoyan Sariiski aka Stanly), a businessman known to be close to Borisov. His father was a Minister in the right-wing Cabinet of Filip Dimitrov in the 90s, appointed on the request of the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS.

Kristina Spasova – former PR of Miroslav Naydenov and former manager of the EU project for advertising the EU Program for Rural Areas Development on Facebook and Twitter

Boris Mitov – journalist at Mediapool

What did we learn:

What Separation of Power?

The conversation took place in an early morning in Borisov's own home in the Sofia suburb of Boyana, as he himself admitted, despite saying he refuses to read the transcripts and listen to the tapes.

Borisov has obtained in breach of the law findings of a prosecution probe before the Prosecutor's Office officially made them public.

The findings were handed to him in person by Kokinov.

Kokinov, who resigned as prosecutor, calls the ex PM "Boss," shamelessly begs him to make him Sofia Appellate Prosecutor, and gently reproaches him for not making him Chief Prosecutor as he was promised.

Kokinov wines that he is being blackmailed for money and that he is subjected to disciplinary proceedings aver some energy sector cases; he portrays himself as the hunted victim and martyr, who could not learn Tsatsarov's plans.

Kokinov reports what he knows about the progress in the corruption case against Naydenov. He also reveals what the key witness, Svetoslav Simeonov, has said and what he plans to say.

Kokinov offers advice to Naydenov on how to avoid prosecution and assuages him the case would not hold water in Court.

Kokinov confirms suspicions and media reports about Tsatsarov being handpicked by Borisov. ("Don't smirk, you handpicked him," Kokinov is heard saying.)

While talking with Naydenov and Kokinov, Borisov answers a cell phone call where someone else also reports to him the findings of the Prosecutor's Office from the probe in Stanishev's tipoff. He relays these findings to the other two.

What Independent Media?

The conversation provides insights into the blueprint used to hold media on a short leash.

Naydenov admits that the criteria for media to bid for EU financing had not been written by experts at the Agriculture Ministry, but by Krisi (Kristina Spasova) and Boyan (Tomov, referred to as Sasho's - Alexander Staliyski's "gay").

These criteria had been produced under the watch and the coordination of Diyana Damyanova and Ani Ruscheva with Damyanova making the decisions on the winning bids.

They have been written after Krisi had reached under the table deals with media that should have been granted the funds.

The mentioned winning bidders are the dailies "Trud," "24 Hours," "Standard," and the largest private TV channel bTV (allegedly owned by Ruscheva's boss, Krasimir Gergov).

"We gave them so much money and they are now dragging us in the mud," Naydenov complains.

Kokinov and Borisov voice alarm that "Krisi" might start "singing" if pressured by the prosecution, but Naydenov is bursting with faith she is loyal to him. He worries more about the other people (calling them with a derogative name) involved in the scam (Ruscheva, Damyanova, Boyan, the Trud Editor-in-Chief Dzhamdzieva).

Tomov "Stole" the Orphans' Money

When Boyan's (Tomov) name is mentioned, Borisov tells how during his term as Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Boyan, in his capacity of coordinator for the charity campaign for the children of police officers who died in the line of duty, had "stolen BGN 60 000 from the orphans," and since then had been banned from going anywhere near the former PM. (It remains unclear why Boyan is now PR advisor in the caretaker Cabinet of a Minister who was a Deputy Minister in the Cabinet "Borisov").

From Naydenov, we learn that Boyan has been recommended by Sasho (Alexander Staliyski), and that the latter is obviously considered a person to whom a Minister could not say "no."

Kristina Spasova

Kristina Spasova (Krisi), 25, Naydenov's former PR and current live-in girlfriend (as he says in the conversation) also deserves special attention.

They young lady has a Bachelor's Degree from the University in the southwestern city of Blagoevgrad. She became popular for winning a bid in the amount of BGN 50 000, in a competition with two other brand new companies, to advertise the EU Program for Rural Areas Development on Facebook and Twitter, which was just the first step in her speedy ascension to significant wealth.

According to several journalistic investigations, months after leaving her State servant job, the former PR purchased from a private company (believed to be linked to Damyanova) 2 luxury offices in Sofia for BGN 0.5 M (repaid only in 7 months), shares in a profitable plant for processing wild berries, and large farming land plots.

After the publications, the National Revenue Agency, NRA, announced they will probe the sources of income of the people involved. The prosecution also announced a probe, but currently it is still waiting for the NRA findings. The EU anti-fraud office OLAF began an investigation as well - Naydenov denied it at first, only to confirm it later.

Its results remain unknown, but, according to what the former Agriculture Minister says in the conversation, it is much larger than the notorious Facebook and Twitter profiles and involves big public tenders under the Program for Rural Areas Development.

Naydenov is also heard stating he did not have anything to worry about OLAF. Borisov, however, tells him: "This is your problem because it boils down to EU money," implying misuse of EU money is more risky than embezzlement of public finances.

Other "Curious" Things Emerging from the Conversation:

Margarita Popova was the one to vouch for notorious Kalina Ilieva (26 at the time) to become CEO of State Fund Agriculture. Media have previously written she got the post because her father was the Sofia Fire Brigade Chief and friend of Borisov (who is a former firefighter).

Most in the high echelons of power is done under the table and everyone is somebody's person - "The President is after me because he sees me as "Boyko's person," Kokinov says, while Naydenov wonders who could have been the mastermind behind "the attack" on him leading to the corruption charges.

Those who don't side with the leading characters or who are not liked by them are gay (prosecutors Dzhambazov and Vasilev, journalist Mitov).

Borisov is on good terms with notorious former Prosecutor Nikola Filchev – "Nikola Filchev told me Dzambazov's entire story. You know Filchev, he is like a computer, you press the button and he begins giving you stories and dates," he says.

Key witness Svetoslav Simeonov, who has testified that Naydenov had given him bribes and had asked him to commit perjury, is called "The Crazy."

The "Boss," who controls it all, might have made a mistake by "giving" Tsatsarov the post as the latter had become emancipated too quickly and is not acting as expected.

A senior intelligence officer visits the former PM in his home – a voice is heard telling Borisov that the "important man from the intelligence agency has arrived."

The former country leader, the former minister, and the top prosecutor are biased, xenophobic, and vulgar. They discuss people's private lives and call others with the most derogative names. In the discussion about Krisi, Borisov and Naydenov wonder who her former boyfriends might have been (someone from TIM is mentioned) as they could be seen as a threat. "I don't really know. She had boyfriends; you realize we don't take them virgin," Naydenov says.

These are the things we know. We still don't know, but wish to know:

Who and how leaked the recordings to the media – the opposition, organized crime linked to police employees, or policemen fed up with the breaches at the Interior?

Are they authentic? (This question has been answered to a great extent, much faster than in the in the "Misho the Beer" case, where the authenticity was never conclusively proven. Kokinov resigned, Borisov is complaining about being recorded in the restroom, and Tsatsarov said he had no doubt such conversation took place. Furthermore, the voices on the tape sound very familiar to those who have followed public appearances of the three and the conversation is an hour and half long making it hard to manipulate and mount.)

If the recordings are authentic, are the participants going to be prosecuted and is the scandal going to turn into Tsatsarov's chance to become "national hero," given the inactivity of all of his predecessors?

(According to legal experts, there is a long list of crimes stemming from the conversation such as obstruction of justice, trading influence, corruption in public tenders, abuse of EU funds, leaks of classified information, and unauthorized spying.)

How was Borisov's house bugged, when it is guarded by the National Security Services (at least one guard is heard coming in and out), and what is the overall state of Bulgarian police, other law enforcement entities, and the intelligence services?

If expert reports that Naydenov himself brought the bug are true, why would he do it as the recording exposes him as well? (Borisov is firm the former Minister was not involved.)

If it was Naydenov, how was Borisov recorded using the bathroom?

Will we ever find the answers?

Tsatsarov's reactions are just a fragile light in the very dark and long tunnel of pessimism.

Borisov recently wondered why he is the only Prime Minister of Bulgaria to be targeted with special surveillance devices.

It does sound like a rhetorical question – maybe because during his term spying reached uncontrollable dimensions; maybe because in a 2011 TV interview he said it was more than fine to eavesdrop on ministers. It backfired.

Because Bulgarians now joke that when they pick up the phone, they say: "Hi, and hi to you Tsvetanov."

To be fair, previous governments have been corrupt as well, but it seems that they have been shrewder in their graft.

More names mentioned in the conversation:

Alexander Arabadzhiev – former Constitutional Judge and Member of the Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, currently Judge at the European Court in Luxembourg

Malena Filipova – former Head of the Inspectorate at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassations

Boyko Naydenov – Head of the National Investigative Services

Kalina Nakova – Prosecutor at the Special Unit dealing with EU Funds Fraud at the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office

Angelina Mitova – Prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassations, Head of the Speacial Unit dealing with EU Funds Fraud

Snezhana Kopcheva – Prosecutor at the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office

Zoya Velinova – journalist at the Bulgarian National Television

Nikolay Barekov – journalist, TV7 host

The European Commission will not publish an extraordinary progress report on Bulgaria under the co-operation and verification mechanism (CVM) before the one due in end-2013, according to EC Spokesperson Mark Gray.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Gray, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), explained that the EC considered the wiretapping scandal as a one-off case which was to be handled by the domestic prosecuting authority.

On Friday morning, Bulgarian media outlets released leaked transcripts of wiretapped conversations between former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov and former Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov during which the three discuss ways of impeding court procedings against Naydenov, who has been charged with malfeasance in office.

The leaked transcripts of the conversations between Borisov, Naydenov, and Kokinov came against the backdrop of a wider 'Watergate'-style scandal involving alleged widespread unauthorized deployment of special surveillance devices against politicians and businessmen during the term in office of Tsvetan Tsvetanov as Interior Minister.

The scandal caused tension to escalate in the campaign leading up to the May 12 early parliamentary elections.

"The investigation is underway, it is handled by the Bulgarian prosecutor's office, the Bulgarian authorities, they must decide on the next steps they will take. We do not intend to offer comments until we see steps which require our comments," Grey said when asked whether the EC was worried by the fact that former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had been summoned to a questioning over the scandal.

"The EC stated very concrete requirements for Bulgaria in its report under the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism. These requirements remain valid. The Bulgarian authorities know what to do. Elections are approaching and the new government will have to continue this process. We commented on the problem with wiretapping in the last CVM report, we shall have to decide whether to comment on the issue again at the end of 2013." Gray declared.

The EC is to come up with the next CVM report on Bulgaria at the end of 2013.

The strong explosion of a leaky gas pipe that caused significant damage of a building in Prague’s historic center on Monday has probably killed up to four people, according to reports.

Emergency services chief Zdenek Schwarz has told reporters that three or four dead people may be buried in the rubble of the damaged building.

Over 40 people were injured in the powerful explosion, which police said was believed to have been caused by a gas leak.

Police have sealed off the popular tourist area and evacuated around 220 people from several nearby buildings, according to Sky News.

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has informed that no Bulgarian nationals have been injured in the explosion.