Bulgaria's Last Instance Court to Sit on Case against Ex IntMin

Bulgaria's former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov. Photo by BGNES

The Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS) on Tuesday is to hold a sitting over his refusal to allow the use of special surveillance equipment against a former anti-mafia official.

In September, the Sofia Court of Appeals revoked his 4-year sentence over his move to block six survelliance requests targeting Orlin Todorov, a former head of a regional law enforcement structure in the city of Veliko Tarnovo.

Todorov headed the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP)'s Veliko Tarnovo unit at a time Tsvetanov was Interior Minister (2009-2013) in PM Boyko Borisov's first cabinet.

This is the second time the case of Tsvetanov is returning to the VKS. The latter court has already revoked a sentence once, after the Sofia City Court found him guilty in May 2014 and the appellate court upheld the sentence in February of this year.

But the Sofia Appellate Prosecutor's Office protested the ruling of VKS and demanded a retrial.

Prosecutors allege the six denials of wiretapping motions against Todorov were motivated by his close ties to a former top GDBOP official.

Tsvetanov has lately faced two separete charges, one of embezzlement and one of allowing unauthorized wiretapping. The latter were dropped after being revoked by prosecutors.

The former Interior Minister, who is considered to be the driving force of activity at ruling GERB party's local organizations across the country, maintains all charges against him are political.

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