Bulgaria Interior Minister Suspects Judicial Council of Mafia Links

Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetanov (left) during a news conference on Monday. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has voiced his suspicions that the Supreme Judicial Council might be connected to alleged mafia bosses arrested recently.

Tsvetanov has been in a kind of war with the judiciary in the recent weeks, criticizing the Bulgarian judges over several verdicts they issued.

On Monday, Tsvetanov revealed that on Friday he had a meeting with the Bulgarian Union of Judges which was hosted by the Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev.

“My meeting with the Judges’ Union was very constructive. I take into consideration their views that I affect the authority of the courts with my statements. But they – just like me – need actual reform,” Tsvetanov said at a news conference Monday.

“I believe that the present Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) is discredited, and the judges agree to some extent. There remains the suspicion of whether Krasio the Black and the “Octopuses” did not appoint the members of the VSS,” the Interior Minister said referring to the cases of Krasimir Georgiev (aka Krasio the Black), who is facing charges of “trading” magistrate positions, and of ex secret agent Aleksei Petrov and the circle around him, who were arrested in February in Operation Octopus.

This is not the first time Tsvetanov has commented on a possible connection between the group around Aleksei Petrov, and magistrates from the Supreme Judicial Council. Tsvetanov has been infuriated by the ruling of the Sofia courts that released on bail most of the alleged mafia leaders, leaving only Petrov and one other man in jail.

“I am a citizen of Bulgaria, and I meet with the other citizens. I have to refer their concerns to the institutions. A complex approach is needed to solve the issues of Bulgaria’s judicial system. We should not leave the impression that there are institutions which are discredited,” Tsvetanov said.

Tsvetanov’s meeting with the Union of Judges has taken place after they reacted strongly to his criticism threatening to bring in EU, Council of Europe, and other independent international observers in order to resolve their conflict with him.

The last of Tsvetanov’s comment which infuriated the judges had to do with the notorious case of businessman Mario Nikolov accused of draining SAPARD program funds. Tsvetanov has commented that if the Bulgarian court acquits Nikolov, the Interior Ministry would try to take the case to Germany where some of Nikolov’s associates have already been sentenced over the same case.

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