Bulgarian parliamentary commission will hold hearings to discuss 2015 Novichok poisoning attempt on Bulgarian businessman
On Thursday, February 14, the Parliamentary Commission for Control of the Security Services of Bulgaria will gather for hearings regarding the assassination attempt on Bulgarian businessman Emilian Gebrev that occurred nearly four years ago. According to the investigations by The Insider and Bellingcat, in April 2015, Gebrev was poisoned with the Russian nerve agent Novichok or a similar toxin of this group.
Investigators noted that Gebrev was poisoned during the same period that a GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces) officer Sergey Fedotov, also known as Sergey Vyacheslavovich, was visiting Bulgaria.
"I hope that Bulgarian, British and other European law enforcement are actively working on the investigation of this case,” said Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Deputy Chair of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria or GERB, Ukrinform reported.
Gebrev owns the companies Dunarit and Emco and a weapons factory. The businessman believes that he was of interest to the GRU because of weapon production. In 2015, Emko supplied weapons to Ukraine which were directly used to counter Russia’s aggression in the Donbas. Gebrev also believes that Russia wanted to take control of his weapons factory.
Earlier, The Telegraph reported that there were not two but three people that poisoned former Russian military intelligence officer and UK double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The third man’s last name was Fedotov and stayed in Great Britain after the assassination attempt.