Bulgaria Former Health Fund's Head Faces Corruption Charges

Nesheva admitted to receiving over BGN 12 000 of bonuses last year and - though claiming the money was well deserved - quit office on February 17 under public, opposition, and Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov's pressure. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's former health insurance fund director, who resigned earlier this year over a bonus scandal, is to be prosecuted on corruption allegations.

"The parliamentary anti-corruption committee found breaches in the way Neli Nesheva received the bonuses and alerted the prosecutors," its chairman Kamen Kostadinov announced.

The "Nesheva" scandal flared up after members of parliament from the right-wing Blue Coalition released for the media documents showing that all while NZOK is in shambles, its employees have received in 2011 over BGN 2 M in bonuses, of which BGN 30 000 went to its head.

Nesheva admitted to receiving over BGN 12 000 of bonuses last year and - though claiming the money was well deserved - quit office on February 17 under public, opposition, and Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov's pressure.

The Bulgarian Doctors Union, the Bulgarian Industrial Chamber, the Union of Multi-profile Hospitals, the National Association of Private Hospitals and the National Alliance of People with Rare Diseases, and the Parliamentary Committee on Health stood up in Nesheva's support, insisting that changes in NZOK leadership will unnecessarily shake the system.

They praised the NZOK Director for reinstating regular payments in the system, for the new medication policy which includes the possibility to negotiate discounts and the new methodology of payments to hospitals, which have increased transparency and reduced the lobbyist pressure.

Her supporters say the scandals are being stirred on purpose by the pharmaceutical cartels in Bulgaria.

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