Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov: So Sorry I Arrested Sreten Josic

Bulgaria’s PM Boris Borisov has sarcastically apologized for having arrested Balkan drug lord Sreten Josic, and for his extradition to the Netherlands.

In a phone interview on bTV’s morning program "This Morning", Borisov declared: "That person Kutev called upon me to apologize for arresting and extraditing Sreten Josic to Holland. I apologize!"

Anton Kutev, an MP of the socialist BSP party, had publicly called on Thursday for the Borisov to apologize, saying: "It is very important for the Prime Minister to apologize for Sreten Josic, for the banditry in politics."

Kutev was replying to Borisov’s earlier request for an apology from Socialist President Georgi Parvanov, concerning his refusal to withdraw the Bulgarian Ambassadors to Turkey and the USA. Borisov had called on the President to apologize to Parliament.

The PM declined to comment Friday on whether his own murder had been ordered this summer and whether it was Josic, along with Bulgarian and Serbian politicians, who were involved in this order.

This is the latest episode in a series of events dating back to the time (2001 – 2005) when Boyko Borisov was Chief Secretary of Bulgaria's Interior Ministry.

At the beginning of April 2009, Sreten Josic made headlines in Bulgaria, telling a Belgrade court he enjoyed the protection of high-ranking officials here, citing among others the name of the then Interior Chief Secretary Borisov.

At that time, Borisov, by then Mayor of Sofia, vehemently denied the allegations, accusing the former ruling three-party coalition of crafting a long-term strategy to discredit him.

When asked if he was aware of the rumors that Josic had ordered his assassination, Borisov said he had just done his job when Josic was arrested and extradited to the Netherlands at the request of the Dutch police.