4 Bulgaria Magistrates Demoted over Corruption Scandal

For months now, Bulgaria's court system is shaken by the "Krasio from Pleven" corruption scandal involving violations of the ethical code of magistrates. File Photo

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) decided Thursday to penalize 4 magistrates over their contacts with the scandalous Krasimir Georgiev aka “Krasio from Pleven.”

Krasio became known after his name was tangled in a corruption scheme where Georgiev, allegedly, offered magistrates to secure their appointment to high ranking positions through the vote of the VSS in exchange for EUR 200 000 in cash.

VSS dismissed Angel Pankov as Deputy District Prosecutor in the city of Pazardzhik and demoted him to prosecutor. Pankov had 19 phone calls with Krasio, 9 of them on the day when the interviews for the position have been conducted. Pankov said his wife had been using the cell phone then.

VSS also demoted the Veliko Tarnovo magistrate, Milcho Vanev, for the next 2 years. Vanev is known as the reporting judge in the high-profile Borilski murder case. He was the Deputy Chair of the Veliko Tarnovo Appellate Court, but resigned after the scandal emerged and remained with the court as a judge. Vanev had 66 phone calls with Georgiev over the course a month. He says he was seeking help for his cancer-stricken father.

The third magistrate is the former Chair of the Shumen District Court, Todor Todorov. He applied to become Chair of the Shumen Regional Court, but the hiring had been postponed over the scandal. Todorov admitted meeting Georgiev and discussing with him VSS solicitation. VSS say they have established a grave violation of the ethics code in Todorv's case, however, he was demoted for the next 2 years as well.

Angel Angelov, who resigned as Burgas Regional Prosecutor after the scandal, has also been demoted for 2 years.