Acquitted Ex Bulgarian Health Min: I Fell Pray of Mob Law

I was a scapegoat for the huge problems in Bulgaria's healthcare system, former Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev says in interview in the eve of World Health Day.

Speaking for the investigative journalism program of bTV "The Hounds," the former Minister stressed he was framed in order to cover up for the real and serious issues plaguing the system, which remain unsolved until now.

He noted that having four different persons serving as health ministers in less than four years of the term of the Cabinet of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, was a demonstration of the wrong approach to blame and reshuffle individuals, instead of focusing on concrete and effective measures and reforms.

In July 2009, Nanev was appointed as the first Health Minister in the then newly elected GERB Cabinet. He resigned from the post at the end of March, 2010, after prosecutors indicted him for concluding deals unfavorable for the State by signing two Tamiflu delivery contracts with "Roche Bulgaria."

The prosecution requested from the magistrates to rule that Nanev was guilty for inflicting damages for the Ministry, calculated at BGN 2 454 319.20, which is the difference between the price offered by the British National Health Services through the British Embassy in Sofia and the price negotiated by the Ministry with "Roche Bulgaria" for the antiviral medicine Tamiflu.

In December 2012, the Sofia Appellate Court confirmed Nanev's not-guilty verdict. He was first acquitted in March. However, prosecutors later appealed the verdict. The Appeals Court rule is final.

The prosecution never claimed he personally benefited from the deal. It also emerged that there was no legal way for the State to purchase the medication from the UK.

Meanwhile, Nanev's codefendant, former Director of the Health Ministry's Budget and Accounting Department, Dimitrinka Nikolova, passed away from leukemia, before being able to hear her not-guilty verdict.

"One person was killed for doing her job. I know as a doctor the scale of stress a trial can cause, particularly on fabricated charges," the former Minister said in the bTV broadcast.

He explained the Tamiflu he purchased prevented mass hysteria during the Swine Flu epidemic in the country at the time and saved hundreds of lives.

"In my case, the prosecution was used as a weapon of mob law; these charges were ordered. What is the scariest here is that it could happen to anyone," Nanev said.

He is currently a practicing physician, sharing his time between Bulgaria and France.

Novinite.com exclusive interview with Nanev read HERE.

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