Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has offered an apology for the remarks he made in connection with the murder of 17-year-old girl.

After the police found the dead body of Miroslava Nikolova, who had gone missing over two months ago, Borisov called on the family of the victim to offer an excuse for the accusations they had leveled during the investigation.

"It is a shame that the relatives of the girl said so many bad things about the police. I hope they will apologize and direct their criticism to some of their closest and dearest, who took part in this crime," Boyko Borisov told reporters on Thursday.

The Prime Minister noted that the family should feel guilty because the abductors had obviously known the girl and had aimed to gain money from a relative of hers.

Borisov went on to instruct Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov to spare the money to buy 3 or 4 beef steaks and have them sent to the police dog and to also reward its handler.

The Prime Minister's "beef steak" comments stirred a scandal, with vocal expressions of discontent appearing in online media, forums and social networks.

"To be honest, the dog contributed a lot to the investigation. This is why I, as a person who is strongly attached to dogs, said that it should be given its most favorite reward – food. I am sorry if I was misunderstood and I ask for an apology from the relatives of the girl and from everybody else who felt affected," Borisov said late on Thursday.

Miroslava Nikolova's dead body was found by the police in the suburbs of the town of Pernik about 11 am on Thursday after two months of what was claimed to be an active search, which involved the information systems of Schengen and Interpol.

Interestingly the main version of the police had been that the girl did not like her life in Bulgaria and fled abroad.

They later admitted that the the teenager had been stifled to death on the very same day of the abduction in the town of Pernik.

The police actions triggered a controversy, especially in internet forums, after it emerged that one of the two suspects arrested for the murder of the missing teen girl committed suicide during a police search of his home in Pernik.

After his arrest, the man identified as Stoycho, aka Chocho, a close ally of a local businessman, was brought home by the police.

As the police searched the apartment, however, he got hold of a pistol and shot himself in the head.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!