Candidate for Bulgarian District Court Chair Exposed for Tarnished Track Record

Candidate for Haskovo District Court Chair Rosen Rusev will have his documents examined before VSS votes on his application. Photo by Darik News

Rosen Rusev, a candidate for the post of Haskovo District Court Chair, has worked eight years as a lawyer without a practicing certificate, according to an open letter of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives (BILI) to the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS).

According to the personnel file compiled by the Bulgarian NGO, Rusev worked in the southeastern city of Yambol as a lawyer in the period 1990-1998, although he obtained a practicing certificate no earlier than 1997.

About one year after obtaining admission to the bar, Rusev became administrative head of the Svilengrad Regional Court, despite his scant 10 months of effective judicial experience.

Citing the Access to Public Information Act, BILI asked the Yambol Bar Association to provide the documents Rusev presented upon his registration in 1990.

The NGO was told, however, that Rusev had taken his documents with him when he left because he needed them to apply for his new job.

At its October 21 session, VSS presented the facts contained in BILI's letter and decided to postpone the election of a Haskovo District Court Chair until the allegations are checked.

Another reason why VSS' vote was postponed was that the Sofia Appellate Prosecutor's Office canceling the unmotivated refusal of Sofia City Prosecutor Georgi Tafrov to investigate Rusev for malfeasance in office.

Lazar Gruev, Chair of Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation, suggested that VSS appoint an acting Haskovo District Court Chair at its next session until the examination of Rusev's record is wrapped up.  

Several months ago, Rusev became the subject of an investigation of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation over the principles of case assignment at the Haskovo District Court, his financial status and allegations that he had been using his work vehicle to travel on private trips abroad.

The results of the probe were filed to the Plovdiv Appellate Court Chair, who has a capacity to penalize Rusev, to VSS and to the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office.

VSS refused to take steps, saying that prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation were not authorized to propose disciplinary action against magistrates.

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