Toppled Bulgarian Judge: Interior Minister Orchestrated My Removal

Veselin Pengezov has been removed from the position of head of the Sofia Appellate Court for ruining the image of the judiciary. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) decided to remove the head of the Sofia Appellate Court Veselin Pengezov because of pressure by Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, according to Pengezov himself.

"I was removed because that is what they were ordered to do," Pengezov stated with respect to his removal over the involvement of his daughter, Ana Pengezova, also a judge, into a property scandal in Bulgarian Black Sea resort Pomorie in the spring and summer. Pengezova and the relatives of four other judges got beach-front property from the local municipality claiming the status of people on social security benefits in need of homes.

Pengezov will remain a regular judge on staff with the Sofia Appellate Court.

In his comment after the VSS ruling, Pengezov declared he had information the Interior Minister had pressured the senior magistrates. He said he had members of the VSS had met with Tsvetanov but refused to reveal their names.

He calculated that since 15 members of the Supreme Judicial Council voted to remove him, and three abstained, against 3 who voted against, their number is the same as the votes cast to elected Georgi Kolev as the head of the Supreme Administrative Court in the fall of 2010.

Pengezov said he will appeal the VSS decision while also expressing concern about the objectivity of the Supreme Administrative Court, which will handle the appeal. He believes that his removal is unjustified and illegal.

The only motive that the VSS cited for Pengezov's removal is "damaging the image of the judiciary."

Pengezov is the highest-ranking magistrate in Bulgaria to be removed from office over violations.

The entire 2010 saw a war of accusations between Bulgaria's Interior Minister and the judiciary, with the magistrates accusing the police of transgressing civil rights and rule of law in their special operations and failing to collect proper evidence, while the Interior slammed the judiciary for its failure to reform and its corruption, a conclusion confirmed by US and EU reports.

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