Bulgaria Vice-PM: I'm Godfather of Many!

Bulgarian Vice-PM and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has denied all involvement in the recent scandal with an illicit construction permit on sand dunes near popular resort town Nessebar on the Black Sea.

The scandal, which flared in the very last days of 2012, involves the de-classification and cheap sale of Natura 2000 protected state beach land to private individuals.

The incident, which had occured in November, was uncovered by environmentalists and shook up Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture, which sold the land.

It also transpired that Todor Boyadzhiev, a construction businessman allegedly close to Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsveatnov, was one of the beneficiaries of the murky deal.

Commenting Tuesday, Tsvetanov said that he was not Boyadzhiev's best man, but was indeed the best man of his daughter.

"You know, I get invited to be the best man of many couples and the godfather of many children," commented the minister at a press event.

"Does that make me complicit in any activity any of those people do?" added Tsvetanov.

The Minister of Interior was resolutely that he has "absolutely no relation" to what happened in Nessebar.

He also denied that the business rise of the TVB construction company owned by Boyadzhiev coincides with the GERB cabinet entering into power in 2009.

However, in the past, Todor Boyadzhiev had again surfaced as the man who transfered to Tsvetanov 2 of the 6 scandalous apartments acquired very quickly by the politician.