Discussion About SANS: Reactions

Lack of control and unclear mandate are among the essential problems as regards the State Agency for National Security (SANS). They will inevitably produce scandals in the future, as they have till now. This opinion was shared by most participants in a round table organized on 28 October 2008, by RiskMonitor. The press reflected this conclusion in nineteen national and regional papers that have published information about the discussion.

The public interest in the activities of the newly created Agency continues to be high, especially after it appeared to be involved in a controversial tapping of deputies and journalists. As Iva Pushkarova of RiskMonitor stressed during the discussion the absence of common standards had even led to a point where people and society are not able to determine if printed recordings of telephone conversations present (illegal) phone tapping or not.

The media express strong interest in presentations by Zoia Dimitrova, SANS's official spokespersons, Velizar Shalamanov, former deputy defense minister, and Rada Smedovska, legal expert at RiskМonitor.

The Trud daily newspaper lays emphasis on the announcement made by Zoia Dimitrova that SANS wouold soon launch a publicly accessible internet site. To the Sega newspaper the crucial point is the need for prompt establishment of efficient parliamentary control on SANS's activities. The Dnevnik newpaper underlines Rada Smedovska's opinion that society has no clear understanding if SANS is an intelligence or investigative service.