Bulgaria's Haskovo District Prosecutor Temporarily Removed from Office

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) has temporarily removed from office Ivan Vanchev, District Prosecutor of Haskovo, at the proposal of Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, until an ongoing trial against Vanchev is wrapped up.

Tsatsarov, as cited by the Focus news agency, made clear Friday that the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office had initiated criminal proceedings against Vanchev on suspicion of document fraud.

The proceedings against Vanchev concern buying and procuring an official document with fraudulent content – a university diploma – and presenting it to another person.

VSS member Kamen Sitnilski abstained from the vote on the proposal.

Vanchev's name is involved in the scandal with the leaked wiretaps of conversations concerning the appointment of Sitnilski as VSS member from the prosecutors'quota.