Officials in Bulgaria say they have frozen several bank accounts that received millions of euros transferred from Venezuela's state-owned oil company, thenewstribune.com writes. 

Chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said Wednesday that the money was meant to be eventually sent to accounts abroad.

"All measures have been taken so that the funds that are still in the accounts ... will be fully under our control and not leave the country on false grounds," he said.

Tsatsarov said charges for money laundering would likely be pressed against the accounts' owner, a Bulgarian citizen who was currently out of the country.

"Our government is working very closely with Bulgaria and other EU members to ensure that the wealth of the people of Venezuela is not stolen," U.S. ambassador to Sofia, Eric Rubin, told reporters.

The State Agency for National Security checks a Bulgarian bank for money transfers received from Venezuela. The alert was received in Bulgaria by the US services, reported BNT. 

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met with US Ambassador Eric Rubin and the heads of the Special Service and the Prosecutor's Office to talk on the issue.

The Bulgarian Financial Intelligence has established the person receiving the money as well as the bank accounts. Once the entire money transfer channel has been clarified, criminal proceedings for money laundering will be initiated, the Chief Prosecutor explained.

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