2nd Witness in Ex Bulgarian Social Minister Trial Revokes Testimony

Todor Pavlov, the key witness in the embezzlement case against former Social Minister, Emiliya Maslarova, exits the courtroom Monday. Photo by BGNES

Another witness in the trial against former Bulgarian Social Policy and Labor Minister, Emiliya Maslarova, withdrew his testimony Tuesday.

Similarly to Todor Pavlov on Monday, Dobromir Neykov, told the magistrates from the Sofia City Court almost the opposite of what he had said during interrogations.

The witness, whose company had worked on renovations of the social home in Stara Zagora, informed investigators that another defendant, Ventseslav Draganov, had been present during meetings to negotiate the renovations deal, but now said in the courtroom that Draganov was never at those meetings.

According to Neykov, himself, the discrepancy in his testimony comes from "technical mistakes" he made and being unprepared when he was interrogated.

Earlier Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, Margarita Nemska, said in an interview for TV7 that the prosecution is going to use in its plea Pavlov's testimony regardless of the fact he revoked it in court, adding the witness could be charged with perjury.

Nemska explained there was no way for the magistrates to not take into account Pavlov's words during the pre-trial interrogation because they were already submitted and included as evidence, but pointed out the testimony is not the only thing the prosecutor is counting on.

The trial against Maslarova at the Sofia City Court began on April 21. The former Minister is charged with large-scale embezzlement of over BGN 11 M from repairs in a social home in the city of Stara Zagora.

According to the prosecution, a probe had shown that the Ministry of Social Policy and Labor, under the leadership of Maslarova, had slated BGN 19 M for renovations at the home. Only BGN 8 M have been used for construction and repairs, while the remaining BNG 11 M were embezzled through fake invoices.

Other defendants in the case are Maslarova's Deputy, Dimitar Dimitrov, her Chief Secretary, Ivan Penev, and Draganov, a family friend, whose company was the main subcontractor for the renovations, along with Mihail Metodiev and Rosen Stefanov, who allegedly misled employees of the Social Ministry

Draganov's defense attorney told the media Monday the trial was another political farce entering the court system.

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