Bulgaria's Ex-Interior Minister to Face Embezzlement Trial

Former Interior Minister and current Deputy Chair of center-right party GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria), Tsvetan Tsvetanov, photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov has asked Parliament to lift the MP immunity of former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov over charges of large-scale embezzlement.

If the request is approved, Tsvetanov, who is an MP from center-right party GERB, will face a third trial.

According to a media statement of the prosecuting authority, Tsvetanov embezzled BGN 50 000 from the budget of the Interior to the benefit of Orlin Todorov, former head of the Interior's Chief Directorate "Combating Organized Crime" (GDBOP) in Veliko Tarnovo.

During his term in office as Interior Minister, Tsvetanov ordered that Todorov be paid salary for a period when he had been removed from office and was kept in custody in the prison in Lovech. Pursuant to Tsvetanov's order, Todorov was paid salary and compensation for untaken holidays for the period he spent in prison, as well as 20 salaries upon his retirement from the Interior.

According to the prosecuting authority, Tsvetanov faces charges of large-scale embezzlement and an offence concerning professional conduct.

Tsvetanov is standing trial over blocking six court-approved permits to use special surveillance devices against Todorov.

He is also being tried on charges of failing to exercise proper oversight over Interior Ministry officials in charge of implementing special surveillance equipment, as a result of which unauthorized wiretapping took place.

Tsvetanov gave up his MP immunity on the two cases.

A decision to lift lawmakers' immunity from prosecution is required for each separate case, according to reports of mediapool.bg.

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