Minister: Bulgaria Will Not Return Money Signed by Ex Agriculture Fund CEO

Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, still hope that the scandal with the former CEO of the Bulgarian Agriculture Fund was a mistake. Photo by BGNES

The EU would not want Bulgaria to return money, which distribution has been signed by the former Executive Director of the Bulgarian Agriculture Fund, Kalina Ilieva, who was found to have forged her diploma.

In an interview on Saturday for the Bulgarian Darik Radio, Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, said that the spokesperson of the European Commission had stated that Bulgaria would not be asked to return any money, despite the scandal with Ilieva.

On Friday, the Agriculture Ministry confirmed the information, published in the Bulgarian "168 Chassa" (168 Hours), that Ilieva had forged her diploma for master's degree.

Officials from the Berlin Institute of Technology have told the Bulgarian newspaper that they will alarm the police, as well as the authorities in Sofia and Brussels.

The Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office has also begun investigating the case.

"This situation is ridiculous. I really, really hope and I want to believe that this is not true. I hope that a huge mistake has happened because otherwise it would be a huge stain for the Bulgarian administration," Naydenov said.

He pointed out that during the selection process for an executive director of the Bulgarian Agriculture Fund, they have followed all the rules and their choice was based on a legitimate Bulgarian document.

In October, Kalina Ilieva was dismissed from her position after it was revealed that she was pregnant and had to go on maternity leave.

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