Bulgaria's New Conflict-of-Interest Commission Powers Ahead with Probes

Bulgaria's new commission on conflict of interest has vowed to decide the case of SCC Chair Vladimira Yaneva by the end of August. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria's new state commission on conflict of interest has started work on the first 20 signals received.

The tip-offs have been filed to 01 Dondukov Blvd, Sofia, where the unit is currently located.

According to Filip Zlatanov, Chairman of the watchdog, it should be able to move to its permanent address on 18 Vitosha Blvd by end-September.

The commission includes 5 members and is to present annual reports on its activity to the Bulgarian Parliament.

The tip-off submitted by Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) concerning Vladimira Yaneva, Chair of the Sofia City Court, has been received and is being checked.

Yaneva faces conflict-of-interest accusations due to the fact that she has bought properties from Sofiyski Imoti as a proxy of a company owned by her father, thereby violating the ban on commercial activities for magistrates.

Apart from that, Yaneva was found to have deliberately delayed the trial against the former management of the municipal company.

Yaneva dropped the controversial case as late as August 09, amid pressure from the media, human rights organizations and senior magistrates.

The case is yet to be assigned to another judge.

"We will come up with a decision by the end of the month", Zlatanov told journalists Friday regarding Yaneva's conflict-of-interest probe.

The statutory timeframe for the commission's pronouncement is 2 months.

The decisions will be published on the watchdog's website, which is not operational yet.

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