Prosecutors Enter Premises of 3 Power Distributors in Bulgaria

CEZ supplies power to over 2 million households and companies in western Bulgaria, including the capital Sofia. File photo

Prosecutors from Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv and tax officials have entered the offices of the three power distributors functioning in Bulgaria, CEZ, EVN, and Energo Pro, to start inspections.

Speaking Wednesday at a press conference, Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov presented the steps taken by the prosecuting authority in connection with the growing public discontent over the high electricity prices.

He made clear that the power distributors had one month to check all expenses of the companies, adding that the first results of the probes were due on March 22.

He informed that the prosecuting authority had submitted a proposal to the outgoing Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism on February 26, reminding him of Energy Act provisions allowing him to intervene with the assistance of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) to reduce electricity prices in emergency situations.

"The measure is triggered by the emergency situation and will be temporary by all means," Tsatsarov said, as cited by mediapool.bg.

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor made clear that the measure allowed for an extraordinary correction until Parliament adopted legal changes allowing the energy watchdog to reduce or increase electricity prices at its discretion, not just once a year.

The amendments allowing DKEVR to update electricity prices more frequently were approved Tuesday by the parliamentary committee on energy, economy, and tourism.

Tsatsarov informed that each of the three power distributors would be checked by a separate team of prosecutors and tax officials.

He suggested that the first team of 5 prosecutors and tax officials would inspect companies in the CEZ group and would be headed by Roman Vasilev, the second team would be headed by Rumen Popov and would inspect companies in the EVN group, and the third team would be led by Vladimir Chavdarov and would inspect Energo-Pro.

He also specified that the probes would not span the entire activity of the power distributors but their expenses and deals with related companies.

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