Bulgaria Socialists Appeal Removal of Municipal Council Chair

Bulgaria's Socialist party is outraged at the removal of top BSP member Gutsanov from the post of chair of the Varna Municipal Council over alleged malfeasance. Photo by BGNES

Municipal councillors from the Bulgarian Socialist party have submitted an appeal against the ousting of the chair of Varna Municipal Council.

Borislav Gutsanov was removed from the post of chair of the municipal council of the Bulgarian Black sea capital Varna, following his arrest over embezzlement charges.

BSP Varna councillors have also addressed their appeal against Gutsanov’s removal and the appointment of a new chair to the Varna District Prosecution, the Municipal Council and the Bulgarian National Association of Municipalities.

Borislav Gutsanov, a top member of the Bulgarian Socialist party, was removed from the post of chair of Varna Municipal Council on April 28, 2010, following his arrest on March 31 over charges of alleged abuse of taxpayers’ money, namely for deals to purchase second-hand buses which were later sold to Varna's public transportation at much higher prices.

Borislav Gutsanov was arrested alongside the Director of the Varna municipality ‘autotransport’ department, Pencho Penchev and Yana Krusteva, the department’s Chief Accountant, on May 31.

Businessman Daniel Slavov aka Dido Dunkata was also taken into custody after being arrested in his own Hotel 'Capitol'.

The arrests came on allegations of a number of crimes, including the masterminding of a crime gang, including high-ranking officials, embezzlement and malfeasance in office, forging of documents.

Gutsanov has repeatedly said that the trial against him is political. He has denied to have had business operations with Daniel Slavov aka Dido Dunkata, who is suspected of organizing contraband cigarette channels in the Varna area and was arrested during the same police operation codenamed “Jellyfish”. Slavov is also behind bars.

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