Bulgarian Court Reinstates Plovdiv Mayor

The Court of Appeals in Plovdiv has revoked the ruling of a lower-instance institution that suspended Mayor Ivan Totev as he faces charges.

It is unlikely that Totev, who is into his second term as mayor of Bulgaria's second-largest city, will try to pressure witnesses into giving more favourable testimony if he remains in office, according to the head of a three-member jury panel quoted by daily 24 Chasa.

Prosecutors demand his suspension, insisting some of the witnesses are his employees, being municipal officials.

But "Totev has provided cooperation [to judicial institutions]" and, moreover, the inquiry of witnesses has given no indications of any attempts at influence on his behalf, according to the judge.

Totev has welcomed the decision, saying his "conscience is clear" and has vowed to assist the prosecution over the course of the investigation.

After he was suspended by the district court in Plovdiv last week, it also emerged he had been indicted on a second count of abuse of office.

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