In the cable, then-U.S. Ambassador John Beyrle said that Borisov was at the time pro-American and “very cooperative with the US intelligence services on specific cases” but that “not one of them involves some of the prominent organized crime figures in Bulgaria.”
Neither Bivol.bg, Wiki-Leaks’ Bulgarian partner, nor the cable hacking organization has released the full text of the cable yet. The news comes just after another former U.S. Ambassador, James Pardew said that Bulgarian politicians may come across as “tough guys” but are actually shying away from dealing with important issues such as organized crime.
“Here we are in 2011 and still no major figure in the underworld or corrupt statesman has been convicted and punished,” he told the Bulgarian daily Trud earlier this week. “This is very sad. Organised crime and corruption continue to smother Bulgaria and prevent its development.”
In a 2005 cable, Pardew said that organized crime was the biggest challenge facing Bulgaria, and highlighted the strong Russian influence on the country’s grey economy.
In a May 2006 cable, former U.S. Ambassador Beyrle said that Borisov had “been implicated in serious criminal activity” and “maintains close ties to LUKoil and the Russian embassy.” Beyrle stressed that it was important for his government to cooperate with him, but “never forget who we are dealing with.”
According to the same cable, Borisov once described himself as “Bulgaria’s biggest asset.” Before becoming Prime Minister in 2009, Borisov served as mayor of Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia during which time he founded the rightist GERB Party, on a platform of combating organized crime and corruption.
Before his term as mayor, he was a Chief Secretary in the Interior Ministry.
In 1991, two years after the collapse of communism, Borisov, who has a black belt in karate, set up a security firm and provided bodyguard services to dignitaries and politicians.
