If Acting Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov has made any personal, unofficial commitments regarding the passage of the so-called “prosecutor general investigation bill”, let him be brave enough to come out and say so in public.
The comment of the spokesperson of the Prosecutor General Siika Mileva is in connection with the statement of the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Milkov that “the adoption of two laws – to create a mechanism for the investigation of the Prosecutor General and to reform the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPCONPI) will help of Bulgaria to receive a “yes” for Schengen membership,” the prosecutor’s office announced.
I am surprised that once again a representative of the executive power publicly declares to the public another untruth that serves only political interests.
It is inadmissible for a diplomat to claim that specific legal amendments, which concern only internal political issues, could be a guarantee for Bulgaria’s membership in Schengen, unless they aim at political manipulations.
The claim of the acting foreign minister that Bulgaria’s acceptance into the Schengen area is linked to the criminal liability of the Prosecutor General is absurd. They have no relation to each other. The Schengen area allows citizens of the respective countries to travel freely between individual member states without passing border controls. Because of this, the requirements to the states are only related to the security of the borders and internal security, which is something completely different, says Mileva.
The European Commission and the European Parliament have repeatedly stated that they unconditionally support Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen area, as we have fulfilled all the criteria to become its full member.
If Acting Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov has made any personal, unofficial commitments regarding the passage of the so-called “prosecutor general investigation bill”, let him be brave enough to come out and say so in public.
Recently, politicians do not distinguish between the concepts of criminal liability, control and accountability of the Prosecutor General, the distinction between which is extremely clear. Accountability and control are quite different from criminal liability and should not be confused. The opposite means a lack of legal, and even life and language knowledge.
In the presence of an effective mechanism for accountability, as well as for the control of the chief prosecutor, the political statements about the fact that there is none and that it is about to be created remain misunderstood, even more so our acceptance into Schengen depends on it.
According to the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, the National Assembly hears and accepts the annual report of the Prosecutor General on the implementation of the law and on the activities of the prosecution and investigative bodies.
People’s representatives have not fulfilled this duty for three years now. At the same time, we witness how representatives of the executive power speak daily about the lack of accountability and control of the Attorney General.
The position of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Bulgaria is categorical – the so-called “a bill to establish an investigative mechanism for the Attorney General” is unconstitutional. As is well known, this is also the opinion of representatives of the academic circles and the legal community in our country, Mileva emphasizes.
I fully share the concern of Minister Milkov about the risks to the national security of our country, coming from the malicious Russian influence, and I believe that the Bulgarian institutions can and must counteract it with joint efforts.
This is in the direct interest of both Bulgarian citizens and the Euro-Atlantic orientation of our country, an integral part of which is Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen.
The Prosecutor’s Office will continue to fulfill its constitutional powers to help the Republic of Bulgaria become a full member of the Schengen area as soon as possible. However, this would not be possible without the joint efforts of all institutions responsible for this task, Mileva also states.
BGNES
