Top Bulgarian Socialist Might Be Stripped of Immunity

Former Prime Minister and socialist leader Sergey Stanishev faces a new probe for losing 7 clasiffied documents during his tenure. Photo by BGNES

The Prosecutor's Office might ask to strip immunity from Socialist leader, Sergey Stanishev, as Member of the Parliament.

The spokesperson of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, Rumyana Aranaudova, said Tuesday that Stanishev, who is the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and of the Party of European Socialists, PES, could be one of the total of 5 MPs that are facing legal investigations.

Arnaudova has explained the one against Stanishev stemmed from the case where he was charged with losing 7 classified documents containing information constituting a state secret, while in office as Prime Minister.

In 2012, the case was returned to the Court for retrial, but the spokesperson noted her office faced difficulties in following the instructions given to them.

She added that currently 5 MPs face the possibility of being stripped from immunity, however more names could pop up as well.

A day earlier, Sofia City Prosecutor, Evgeni Dikov, also informed that at least 5 current MPs are being probed.

In mid-November 2011, the Sofia City Court opened the administrative case against Stanishev on charges of losing classified documents while in office.

The indictment was submitted to the court more than a year after Stanishev was officially charged amid lots of media fuss.

The papers had been handed to him in person and against his signature in the period November 4, 2005 - September 10, 2009, when he was Prime Minister of Bulgaria heading the Three-Way Coalition government of his Socialist Party, the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), and the National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NSMP) of former Tsar and PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg.

Three of the secret files had been prepared by the State Agency for National Security (DANS), two by the Interior Ministry, one by the Defense Minister and one by NATO.

After an investigation of 20-plus months, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office issued a ruling with a proposal for imposing a fine as an administrative penalty, reminding that Stanishev had a clear criminal record and that his actions had not caused any material damages. Under Bulgarian legislation, Stanishev can be fined with up to BGN 5 000.

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