Two More Shady Bulgarians Set to Muscle Their Way into Parliament

Vesselin Danov, 55, was arrested in September last year. Photo by BGNES

A father and a son, who have been almost a year in custody on allegations of racketeering, enticement into prostitution and money laundering, will try to enter Bulgarian parliament this summer.

Vesselin and Hristo Danovi, municipal councilors from the Black Sea town of Varna, have been nominated on the ticket of the Bulgarian Patriots Union.

Vesselin Danov, 55, was arrested in September last year, followed by his son a few days later.

The news comes only a week after it emerged that Plamen Galev, who has been in custody for months on charges of establishing and leading an organized crime group and racketeering, will run for member of the Bulgarian Parliament.

"Plamen Galev will demand that he is stripped from immunity should he be elected member of parliament," his lawyer Menko Menkov said on Monday.

Hundreds of Bulgarians have already signed up in support of Galev's nomination for member of parliament. His candidature can be registered in the Central Election Commission in Sofia only after 10,000 signatures are collected in his support.

"I am not a member of the initiative committee that nominated Plamen Galev for MP, but it is clear that people believe him, they don't believe in the crimes, of which he is accused," Menkov said, adding that his client has never obstructed the investigation against him.

Analysts have warned that the precedents may set the pace for a dangerous trend in Bulgaria's political life.

Should these shady candidates be elected members of parliament, they will avail themselves of the one of the advantages the job offers, namely - immunity from prosecution.

The justice system will then have to either rely on their willingness to ask to be stripped of immunity or approach the chief prosecutor with this request and put it to vote in parliament.

 

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!