Ex Bulgarian Deputy Interior Minister Found Guilty of Bribery

Former Bulgarian Deputy Interior Minister, Raif Mustafa, and businessman, Rosen Marinov, were found guilty on bribery charges. Photo by BGNES

The Sofia Appellate Court issued Wednesday a guilty verdict for former Deputy Interior Minister, Raif Mustafa, and businessman, Rosen Marinov, on bribery charges.

The two, however, did not receive jail time – Marinov has a 3-year suspended sentence and 5 years of probation and a fine of BGN 5 000 while Mustafa has a 2-year suspended sentence and 4 years of probation and a fine of BGN 3 000.

The verdict was announced three months after the Supreme Court of Cassations returned the case to be tried again.

The two are charged with offering a bribe to the former Head of Bulgaria's Fishing Agency, Marin Dimitrov, to withdraw a claim submitted to the Supreme Administrative Court (VAS) with which Dimitrov wanted to stop a public tender won by Marinov.

At the end of June, 2010, the lower instance – the Sofia City Court acquitted both, after the Prosecution's Office has asked for 10 years imprisonment for each.

The trial was held behind closed doors. Unofficial reports say the acquittal was based on lack of enough evidence of Mustafa's involvement in the bribery attempt.

On November 22, 2010, the Sofia Appellate Court confirmed the not-guilty verdict of former Deputy Interior Minister, Raif Mustafa, on bribery charges. The other defendant – businessman, Rosen Marinov received a 2.5 years suspended sentence and a fine of BGN 5 000.

The supreme magistrates returned the case on the grounds of shallow analysis of evidence, faulty interpretation of the content of taped phone conversations and faulty logic in making conclusions.

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