The attorney general, whose term lasts until 2026, has been a controversial figure for years. Aishev faced charges of protecting people in power as well as obstructing revelations of corruption and preventing convictions.
Bulgaria’s public prosecutor survived Monday an “assassination attempt” by detonating an explosive device as his convoy passed, the authorities said.
His assistant Borislav Sarafov told reporters that prosecutor Ivan Gechev “was the target of an assassination attempt. It was not just intimidation.”
The authorities explained that the public prosecutor’s convoy was heading to Sofia when a roadside bomb exploded at 11:30 am (8:30 GMT).
Sarafov added, “The bomb was not only made of TNT (about 3 kg), but also contained shrapnel.”
“It was an attack prepared by professionals, and it was obviously very well executed,” he added. He stressed that Gechev and his family, who were traveling in armored cars, were saved by “a coincidence of fate.”
The prosecution opened an investigation into a terrorist attack. The exact nature of the explosives is being analyzed.
And in 2020, thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets for months to protest against the supposed corruption of the government of then Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The demonstrators also demanded Gechev’s resignation.
The attorney general, whose term lasts until 2026, has been a controversial figure for years. Aishev faced charges of protecting people in power as well as obstructing revelations of corruption and preventing convictions.
The demonstrations led to the end of Borisov’s term, which brought the country into a period of political instability.
And the elections that took place in early April, the fifth polling process in two years, did not lead to the emergence of a clear majority in the country, which may have to organize new elections starting this summer.
