High Bulgarian Agriculture Official Severely Beaten

Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister Naydenov (right) is pictured presenting in March the new head of the State Agriculture Fund Rumen Porozhanov (left). Photo by BGNES

Rumen Porozhanov, the head of Bulgaria's State Agriculture Fund, has been heavily beaten by unknown assailants in front of his home.

The attack took place at approximately 9:00 pm on Thursday in Sofia's Borovo residential district. Porozhanov's life is out of danger, the Bulgarian National Radio has informed.

Local police authorities believe there were two assailants involved in the attack. The motives are still unclear and no suspects have been detained.

Porozhanov took over the Bulgarian institution in charge of distributing EU agricultural funding in March 2011 following an embarrassing scandal involving its former head, Kalina Ilieva.

In 2010, Ilieva resigned after hiding her pregnancy, and was subsequently revealed to have acquired the position with a forged diploma from a German university.

Prior to stepping in office, Porozhanov used to be the head of the cabinet of current Finance Minister Simeon Djankov.