MP Ivaylo Lazarov Reveals: Residents of the Village of Koshnichari Subjected to Police Questioning After Complaint by Local Authorities

Visit to the Village of Koshnichari

Member of Parliament Ivaylo Lazarov visits the village of Koshnichari in the Targovishte region on January 3. He takes this action following a signal from local residents regarding problems with the mayor’s deputy. The villagers had already submitted an official complaint to the municipality in the city of Targovishte, but the institution had not provided any response. The MP goes to the location and finds the mayor’s office building completely empty with its doors open. He records a short video and interviews two random passersby on the street. The first interviewee is a woman, and the second is a man in a car. The two citizens share their complaints about the village administration for approximately seven or eight minutes.

Police Questioning of Citizens

Law enforcement officers summon the two interviewed individuals to the police building in the city of Targovishte shortly after the video is recorded. Criminal police officer Miroslav Stamenov questions them for two and a half hours. A coordinator from the “Velichie” party sends a reporter to the location outside the police building. The journalist observes the citizens leaving visibly frightened and shaken. They refuse to speak with anyone and depart the area very quickly. Representatives of the political party send an official letter to the Minister of Interior, requesting answers to the following questions:

1. What criminal offense have these two individuals allegedly committed?
2. Has the prosecution initiated pre-trial proceedings against them?
3. Which prosecutor ordered this investigation?

Complaint Against the Mayor’s Deputy

The villagers prepare and submit a complaint to the Targovishte municipality. The document contains the signatures of twenty-eight people, representing roughly one-third of the settlement’s population. Local residents list the following main issues:

• The mayor’s deputy administers the village from her private home rather than from the official municipal building.
• She is absent from her workplace without properly informing citizens.
• The deputy orders excavation of a street to install wastewater pipes for two privately constructed houses.
• These actions render the street completely impassable.

Future Actions and Political Support

Ivaylo Lazarov sends a formal request for information to the mayor of Targovishte. The mayor is a representative of the GERB political party, while the appointed mayor’s deputy is affiliated with “Novo Nachalo.” The MP expects an official response regarding the measures taken following the submitted complaints. He declares readiness to undertake additional actions if the municipality fails to respond. The “Velichie” party expresses full support for the villagers and calls on police leadership to impose disciplinary measures on the criminal police officer involved. The MPs guarantee assistance to any citizen wishing to file complaints through the provided contact phone number.