Bulgaria starts investigation into attacks on banks

First Investment Bank AD

27/06/2014 09:46

SOFIA, June 27 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has started an 
investigation into attempts to destabilise the country's banking 
system, which include using the Internet and mobile phones to 
spread rumours about a bank, Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev 
told reporters on Friday. 
    Bulgaria's central bank, in an unprecedented statement, 
warned earlier of a systematic attempt to destabilise the 
country through attacks on the banking system and it vowed to 
use all tools at its disposal to protect citizens' savings. 
    Shares in Bulgarian banks tumbled for a second consecutive 
day on Friday amid rumours of a possible run on another lender, 
one week after the central bank stepped in to rescue Corporate 
Commercial Bank (Corpbank)  6C9.BB , the country's fourth 
largest. 
    "There are attempts aiming to destabilize the banking system 
and there's an investigation in this direction since yesterday," 
Yovchev said. 
    "There was an attack through the Internet and through mobile 
phones, they have sent SMS and to disturb people randomly, as 
the aim was to spread the rumour to destabilize a certain bank," 
he said. "The state has the resources and the tools to respond 
to any malicious attack." 
 
     
 
 (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; writing by Matthias Williams; 
Editing by Gareth Jones) 
 ((matthias.williams@thomsonreuters.com)(Reuters Messaging: 
matthias.williams.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: BULGARIA BANKING/INVESTIGATION