"I am expecting that by the end of the week you will have the resignation of Finance Minister (Plamen Oresharski)," former Deputy Finance Minister Georgi Kadiev told Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

"Events developed really fast and the accusations I have heard against the National Revenue Agency (NRA) exceed anything I have seen when dealing with this sort of thing professionally," Kadiev said in an interview for BNR.

For the first time since the start of the row around the NRA, which led to the resignation of NRA head Maria Mourgina, Kadiev directly attacked Oresharski, who had been his superior for a  year, Bulgarian broadcaster Mediapool commented.

It was also the first time the finance minister was asked publicly to take responsibility for the actions of his subordinate, who has been accused of siphoning of value-added tax (VAT) by criminal groups.

Kadiev resigned almost two years ago because of conflicts over staff appointment policies at NRA and the customs office.

"I believe it is absolutely crucial for the Prime Minister to take a quick decision, as he did with the head of the NRA, to cut meat and request the resignation of the finance minister," Kadiev said.

On February 12 2009, the NRA issued a statement saying that Mourgina had resigned. A few hours later, the Finance Ministry issued a statement saying that she had not resigned but was going on 10 days' leave with immediate effect. A few hours after that, the agency said that Mourgina had quit. This was swiftly followed by confirmation that her resignation had been accepted.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev rubbished the predictions of Kadiev, saying they were mere "the imagination of Kadiev. There is no truth in them."