Bulgaria Supreme Magistrates Settle Scandalous Cases

Two major impropriety scandals have been shaking Bulgaria's judicial system for nearly a year now. File Photo

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) declared Thursday they have brought to conclusion both scandals that have been shaking the judicial system since the summer of 2009.

In the first one, a man from the northern city of Pleven, Krasimir Georgiev aka Krasio the Black, had allegedly offered magistrates to secure their high-ranking positions in exchange for cash. Several judges and magistrates, including Supreme ones, have been dismissed or resigned in the aftermath of the scandal over proven contacts with Georgiev.

On Thursday, VSS, in what they say is the final move regarding the “Krasio the Black” case, fired Yordan Ivanov from the Appellate Prosecutor's Office in the Black Sea city of Burgas over having contacts with Georgiev. Ivanov had been for years the Head of the Burgas Appellate Prosecutor's Office and a candidate to become Bulgaria's Deputy Chief Prosecutor, along with former Sofia Appellate Prosecutor, Ivan Petrov, who was also fired for exchanging phone calls with Krasio.

In the other case, codenamed “Octopus,” VSS had decided there isn't any evidence, the Head of the Appellate Court, Veselin Pengezov, has any ties with the crime group with the same name or of him trying to pressure the magistrates in the case.

In mid-April, Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, accused Pengezov of involvement with the “Octopus” gang and said that exactly because of cases like this Bulgarians don't believe in the judicial system and feel threatened. Pengezov denies all allegations.

In addtion, VSS had not established any violations of the Ethics Code in their probe of lawyer, Nikolay Velkov, who was also arrested during the “Octopus” operation and later released on bail, and was taped in his jail cell saying he controls 4 to 5 VSS votes.

It was reported earlier Thursday that the Committee in charge of seizing the illegally acquired assets in favor of the State or the so-called “Kushlev Committee”, named after its Head, Stoyan Kushlev, had frozen assets of the “Octopus” members in the total amount of BGN 41 M, of which BGN 4.2 M are Velkov's properties.

14 people were arrested in February in a police operation codenamed “Octopus.” The gang is accused of racketeering, money laundering, prostitution, illegal drug trafficking and trading in influence. Only 2 of those detained remain behind bars – alleged ringleader Aleksei Petrov and Marcelo Dzholotov, who is said to be a key figure in the group.