Signatures of Ousted Bulgarian SAPPARD Fund CEO Valid

Kalina Ilieva never completed her studies at the Berlin University for Engineering and Economics, from which she claimed to have graduated. Photo by BGNES

All documents signed by Kalina Ilieva, at the time she was the CEO of the Bulgarian Agriculture Fund, dealing with payments from the EU SAPARD program, are valid.

The information was reported Friday by Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, after the Member of the Parliament from the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and former EU Funds Minister, Meglena Plugchieva demanded explanations about the consequences from the so-called "Ilieva" case.

Klaina Ilieva was dismissed from the post after it became clear she tried to conceal her pregnancy from the superiors. Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, said at the time she lied to him she had a tumor in order to explain her gaining weight while Naydenov announced she told him she was going to Germany to undergo surgery, only to learn days later she had given birth.

In the aftermath, it was also revealed that Ilieva's university diploma from Germany was forged and the German prosecutor began a probe against her. The German investigation was halted after it became clear the diploma had not been forged on German territory. Ilieva, however, faces a law suit in Bulgaria on forgery charges.

Nyadenov told the MPs Friday the fact Ileiva does not have a college degree does not annul her signatures and decisions.

"People, who are involved with documentation, signed by the former CEO, should rest assured their rights are protected. This is a huge mess, but many of the applications have been submitted before she was assigned to the post. In order to fix this mess and avoid a new one I am doing everything within the frame of the law to make sure beneficiaries get paid," the Minister explained.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!