Bulgarian Top Prosecutor Reiterates Special Tribunal Objections

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, fears the launch of the special tribunal for high-profile organized crime cases could trigger chaos in the judicial system. Photo by BGNES

Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, insists the special tribunal for high-profile organized crime cases must have double the number of prosecutors than what was passed by the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS).

Velchev was quoted Thursday by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR.

All through the week, the new institution had been subject to debates between Velchev, VSS, the Supreme Court of Cassations, the Prosecutor's Office, the Justice Ministry, the Chair of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Menda Stoyanova, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, the Chair of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Iskra Fidosova, Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, and Justice Minister, Margarita Popova.

Velchev wants 20-25 prosecutors at the first instance of the tribunal and another 10 at the second.

The Chief Prosecutor is further asking to strike the text saying the new court will be trying an estimated 800 cases a year, involving fake excise duty labels, on the grounds this is not a complex crime and it is often dismissed over the lack of evidence. He says that by eliminating this crime from the tribunal's duties, the magistrates will then have a caseload of 200-300 high-profile crimes, which would be more feasible.

Velchev points out in order to avoid chaos in the new institution, a suitable building must be located and job competition for motivated magistrates has to be performed in a timely manner.

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