The former chief of Sofia's Toplofikatsia heating utility, who is now on trial for embezzlement and money laundry, had the support of several key political figures, his deputy claimed from jail.

Valentin Dimitrov was supported by ex-Sofia mayor Stefan Sofianski, two municipal council chairmen and three Energy ministers, Georgi Rogachev said for private bTV channel.

Antoan Nikolov and Vladimir Kisyov from the Sofia Municipal Council and ministers Milko Kovachev, Miroslav Sevlievski and Rumen Ovcharov were all politically responsible for the bankruptcy of Toplofikatsia Rogachev claimed from his cell.

The man, who used to be Dimitrov's deputy, said he knew nothing of the millions of levs his boss had stashed in bank accounts in Bulgaria and Austria. He had only seem the excessive luxury around him - the Jacuzzi in his office, the solarium he had in the basemen, and the frequent long holidays he took. Rogachev claims that the politicians knew all about those extravagancies but never did anything.

Still, Rogachev believes that Dimitrov couldn't have stolen so much money because the utility was already a losing company to begin with.

Rogachev answered in writing questions that a family member brought him to the cell. The medium is going to hand the letter over to the prosecution, who have vowed to probe all facts in it and even interrogate all the politicians listed by name if anything checks out. The jailed deputy head maintains he is innocent and never received anything other than his salary from the utility. He says he was never particularly close with his boss.

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