Rumen Ovcharov, Bulgaria's Energy and Economy Minister in the previous Socialist-led government, who resigned in the wake of a large-scale corruption scandal, cried foul after prosecutors were alerted about his term.

Former member of parliament Maria Kapon approached the prosecutor's office on Friday, alleging Ovcharov of conflict of interests, corruption practices and links to off-shore bank accounts.

Ovcharov vehemently defended himself and suspected friendly fire in the allegations, blaming the same people in his own Socialist Party, who in his words forced him to resign from the energy and economy ministry two years ago.

According to him the scandal has been set up to influence the upcoming congress of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

"I kept my silence at that time, I said nothing, but now I will spit it out at the congress. I will not stop," Ovacharov said.

The scandal, which spelled the end of Ovcharov's tenure with the Socialist cabinet, also took the head of Deputy Disaster Management Minister Delyan Peevski, son of controversial media mogul and former lottery head Irena Krasteva.

Down the drain went also Peevski's former superior, the head of the investigative service Anguel Alexandrov, who was accused of allegedly lobbying for deals with the State Reserve, which was headed by Peevski.

Korneliya Nikova, currently spokesperson of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, who served at that time as Deputy Energy and Economy Minister, also resigned in the wake of the scandal.

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