Bulgaria Interior Minister: Powerful Figure is Testing Police

Bulgaria's Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, informed that the fake signal about the whereabouts of Bulgaria's latest kidnapping victim was a test for the reaction of the police.

Tsvetanov further stated Tuesday he believes a very powerful, influential individual is behind the perpetrators, but declined to offer any concrete details or even a hypothesis.

The Minister did, however, admit that the everything that is happening in the underworld could leave the feeling someone is mocking the authorities with the goal to test the Interior Ministry, and ultimately discredit Bulgaria's government.

Earlier Tuesday, the Interior Ministry received an anonymous call on the 166 hot line that Rumen Guninski Jr, the kidnapped son of the wealthy Bulgarian businessman, Rumen Guninski Sr., was in an abandoned house in the ‘Kiliite’ villa zone near Sofia.

The police arrived at the site but discovered nothing; the father also stated that his son was still missing.

Tsvetanov informed that the police had a lead in the case, but did not offer nay information about the controversial ransom reports, circulating in the Bulgarian media. He voiced hope the first serious crime faced by Bulgaria's new cabinet will be solved.

The Minister announced he would present to Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, proposals for the amendment of the Penalty Code, but confirmed they both have given up on the idea of creating a special Kidnapping Act.

Tsvetanov said one of the amendments might include the possibility of lifting criminal charges from a particular member of the crime group, in exchange of information about how the abductions are planned and executed and the names of the people behind them.

The 22-year-old Rumen Guninski was kidnapped around 8 pm on October 19 in the Studentski Grad Quarter of the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

Gunenski is the son of a rich businessman, who is known for running fuel trading and construction business in the towns of Pravetz and Botevgrad located to the northeast of Sofia. He is also a Pravetz councilman from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and gave up his bid to run for Mayor of Pravetz in the abduction's aftermath.

Also Tuesday it was reported that Guninski received a mobile telephone text message demanding EUR 500 000 for the release of his kidnapped son.

On Monday, the Bulgarian police found the burned out van with which 22-year-old student had been kidnapped.

The van was found in the outskirts of Sofia. The police investigation showed that it had been stolen earlier in the Bulgarian capital.