Bulgarian PM: I Kept Vows to Voters to Send Dogan to Court

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov (center), Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova (left) and EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev (right), at the opening of the renovated overpass on the Sofia's "Adam Mitskevich" Blvd. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, commented Wednesday he had vowed to send the ethnic Turkish leader Ahmed Dogan to trial as part of his election platform last summer and fulfilled the promise.

Borisov's statement came as a response to a reporter's question asking him to comment on the news Dogan's Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) has filed a complaint with the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg contesting the results of the 2009 general elections.

The Supreme Administrative Court is currently examining the case against Dogan, filed due to a report of the Parliamentary Anti-corruption Committee.

Ahmed Dogan has been involved in large-scale political corruption schemes, has breached the conflict of interests provisions and has served private interests, says the Committee's report.

The leader of the ethnic Turkish party, which was a member of the former three-way coalition cabinet, allegedly pocketed BGN 1.5 M as a consultant of four large-scale hydroelectricity projects, funded by the state - 'Tsankov Kamak', 'Dospat', 'Gorna Arda' and 'Tundzha' Dam.

If the magistrates rule Dogan violated the law, the latter can be fined up to BGN 3 000 and the BGN 1.5 M in consulting fees can be confiscated.

Borisov declined any comments regarding the opposition's plans to stage a parliamentary no-confidence vote against his GERB cabinet.

The Prime Minister spoke during the opening of the renovated overpass on the Sofia's "Adam Mitskevich" boulevard.

The project's cost was BGN 1.6 M and the overpass provides the only direct connection with the "Luylin," "Ilinden," "Vrabnitsa," and "Nadezhda" capital districts. It is used by over 80 000 drivers daily, the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, who also attended the ceremony, informed.

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