Bulgarian Ethnic Turkish MP Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail

DPS MP Mithat Tabakov (middle) has been sentenced to 4 years in jail for accepting a bribe during his term in office as Mayor of Dulovo. Photo by BGNES

The Sofia City Court has sentenced Mithat Tabakov, MP from ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, to four years in prison for accepting an exceptionally large bribe.

Tabakov, in his capacity of mayor of the Dulovo municipality, was charged with accepting a sum of BGN 10 000 from the manager of Water Supply and Sewerage OOD in Silistra, Petko Gorbanov, in the period October 2004 – November 19, 2004.

Tabakov received the money on November 19, 2004 on his own bank account to sign a contract with the Water Supply and Sewerage company in the northeastern town of Silistra for the implementation of public procurement for water piping replacement and inspection in the village of Vokil.

Tabakov claimed that he had not been transferred a bribe but a loan to repair his car.

This is the second trial against the DPS MP.

In December 2011, the Sofia City Court sentenced Tabakov to five years of imprisonment over signing a damaging deal.

He was found guilty of criminal breach of trust by signing an unfavorable contract in his capacity of Mayor of the Municipality of Dulovo in 2009.

Tabakov is appealing the decision.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!