The individual nicknamed “Pampers” from Gabrovo, who was identified by Ivaylo Mirchev, a parliamentary candidate for the “Continuing the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” party, on Facebook as one of the vote buyers in the city, has lodged a complaint against Mirchev and a journalist who republished parts of the information concerning the Gabrovo area.
By doing so, Pampers has inadvertently unveiled the mystery behind the nickname mentioned by Mirchev.
What action did the Gabrovo police take?
Rather than initiating an investigation into the information provided to them, the Gabrovo police began an inquiry against Ivaylo Mirchev and Nadia Koleva, the owner of the website “For Gabrovo.” The investigation against Mirchev stemmed from his social media post, while Koleva was targeted for referencing the post and for publishing parts of its claims regarding the main vote buyers in various regions. All individuals named by Ivaylo Mirchev as vote buyers are referred to solely by their nicknames. According to the parliamentary candidate from “Yes, Bulgaria,” these individuals do not merely distribute votes but are also protected by law enforcement and the prosecution.
Nadia Koleva was summoned to provide explanations in a rather informal manner.
She was “called in” on the street by a police officer who told her, “You need to come in and write a statement. A complaint has been filed against you and Ivaylo Mirchev.” When she inquired about the source of the complaint, considering the publication she was questioned about referenced data published on Facebook where individuals were only identified by their nicknames, the officer responded, “The person has identified themselves.”
The chronology of events unfolded as follows:
The individual known by the nickname Pampers, identified as a vote dealer, went to the police, claimed, “I am Pampers,” and filed a complaint. However, Nadya Koleva, who was “summoned” to provide a statement, was not allowed to read what was written in the complaint, though she was told she would receive a copy later. In her explanation, Koleva outlined how the publication was created, after which she was allowed to leave.
Vote buying does not appear to be a priority for the Gabrovo police, as noted by another local journalist following a press conference at the regional directorate of the Ministry of Interior. The topic of that press conference was road safety. Subsequently, the press office of the directorate announced in an email to the media that press conferences on road safety would become regular events, held every Monday until the end of the year.
Undoubtedly, road safety is an extremely serious issue in our country that deserves discussion, yet equally pressing is the topic of vote buying, which is increasing in scale. Moreover, there are suspicions that the police are turning a blind eye to this practice.
The same sentiments were expressed by Ivaylo Mirchev in his post:
“The audacity has reached such heights that meetings are being held where high-ranking police officers from Sevlievo are present, which serves as proof that the Ministry of Interior will not interfere with vote trading,” the Facebook post states.
At the press conference on road safety held at the Gabrovo directorate of the Ministry of Interior, two journalists were present, according to novivesti.com. Neither was allowed to ask questions beyond the announced topic. When they inquired about how to ask about police activities outside of road safety, they were informed that they “must submit an official letter to the director of the Gabrovo Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, Senior Commissioner Plamen Ivanov. Afterwards, the directorate’s leadership would coordinate a potential press conference with the Ministry of Interior’s leadership,” recounted Ruja Lyubenova, a veteran crime reporter from Gabrovo.
This is happening on the same day that Ivaylo Mirchev published information regarding vote buying related to Gabrovo and Sevlievo, indicating that the vote traders operate under the protection of police officers.
Yesterday, during the “Face to Face” program with Tsvetanka Rizova, Ivaylo Mirchev provided more details about the situation in Gabrovo. He stated that he possesses information about a high-ranking police official from the Gabrovo Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior who had a private meeting with Pampers at Kolyova House in Gabrovo, and he announced that he would direct questions to the Minister of Interior regarding this matter.
“Mafia figures from the ’90s are rising like zombies, buying votes on a massive scale. This is to ensure that DPS, led by Peevski, enters parliament with numerous deputies, and it’s entirely possible that Peevski could end up with 30 representatives,” Mirchev predicted during the bTV studio discussion.
In light of all this, it is perhaps understandable for “Mr. Pampers,” as Ivaylo Mirchev referred to him, to react to the exposure of his nickname in the media and its association with vote buying. However, it is concerning how swiftly the Gabrovo police initiated action solely on his complaint against Ivaylo Mirchev and Nadia Koleva, while showing little urgency in potentially gathering evidence for crimes against electoral legislation.
