Former undercover agent Aleksei Petrov, aka "the Octopus" or "the Tractor", who is under investigation for organized crime activities, was revealed to have had close connection with Bulgaria's former Chief Prosecutor Nikola Filchev.

Public attention in Bulgaria has been focused on Petrov ever since he was arrested together with several other men and women in Operation Octopus in February 2010, and has been accused of large-scale organized crime activities.

Petrov's recent release – from jail to house arrest – has caused a bloody clash between Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetanov and the judiciary.

According to judge Neli Kutskova, who is the Spokesperson of the Union of Judges in Bulgaria, in 1998-2005, when Nikola Filchev was Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor, Petrov and Filchev were publicly known to have had a very close connection.

"During the time when Filchev was Chief Prosecutor, it was known that he and Aleksei Petrov are very close. Filchev was in power, Petrov had the force," Kutskova summarized speaking on BNT Friday.

She said only Edvin Sugarev, a member of the rightist Union of Democratic Forces, dared back then to reveal publicly information about Aleksei Petrov. In her words, this led to Petrov filing two libel suits against Sugarev and to tremendous pressure on part of Filchev and his associates on the judges that Sugarev should be sentenced.

"Two courts acquitted Sugarev back then, and did not succumb to the pressure, that is important," Kutskova explained.

She also stated that the judges in Bulgaria are ready to be investigated for corruption, as have suggested the claims of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The judge believes that the investigators have connected all evidence on Petrov's case, and the fact that he has been allowed to be transferred to house arrest would not interfere with the further investigation.

On Thursday, Bulgaria's current Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev said the evidence against Petrov had been gathered in 80 volumes, and that the ex secret agent of the State National Security Agency DANS will be charged in the coming days.

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