A probable terrorist attempt on Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev’s motorcade on May 1 is being looked into by Bulgarian police, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry.
The incident happened at 11:45 a.m., when Geshev’s convoy was on the road between the towns of Samokov and Kovachevtsi when an explosive device detonated, according to the ministry’s chief secretary, Petar Todorov. The explosion didn’t cause any injuries.
According to National Investigation Service, Director Boryslav Sarafov, who was quoted by Dnevnik, the explosion near Geshev’s automobile contained at least 3 kg of TNT equivalent, a lot of shrapnel, roughly the size of a human fingernail, and nearly down a tree next to the road.
According to witnesses, the explosion produced a column of flames that was 4-5 meters high and left a crater that was 30-40 cm deep and 3 meters in diameter close to the road.
“The explosion has a clear focus on the road, on passing vehicles, and it occurred at a sharp turn where we had to slow down,” stated Sarafov.
The explosion did run over Geshev’s car, but no one was hurt. Sarafov stated that Geshev was traveling to Sofia. He continued by saying that the national security service often keeps the routes of high-ranking officials under wraps.
Initial reports indicate that the attack was likely intended to murder, and Geshev was fortunate to survive, according to Sarafov. The explosion is thought to have been manually set off by the assailants who were far enough away to see automobiles driving on the road.
The Interior Ministry said the attack poses a threat to national security, and all security services are working to investigate the incident.
“The threat to the life of every Bulgarian citizen is unacceptable, and our actions will be aimed at protecting the health, life, and property of Bulgarian citizens,” Todorov said.
There has been no speculation as to who might have been involved in the alleged attack or why anyone would want to harm Geshev.
The chief prosecutor is known for being very contentious, and when he was elected there were a lot of objections. He has been charged with protecting politicians from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) and the GERB while pursuing cases against their rivals.
Geshev declined to look into several significant corruption issues involving Boyko Borisov, the former prime minister of Bulgaria, and important DPS figures.
