“Concerns over Violations in the Bulgarian Judiciary: Alleged misconduct and suspicious activities by High Judicial Council and Prosecutor’s Office”

From the Facebook profile of journalist Sonia Koltuklieva

The High Judicial Council and the Inspectorate to it, to refer themselves, due to the following circumstances:

Prosecutor Stefan Hristov was randomly selected by the SJC to participate in an examination committee at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). His business trip has not been terminated – for this reason, he cannot conduct interrogations and participate in procedural and investigative actions.

Stefan Hristov has arranged for a prosecutor from Pleven to appear in his place at the NIP. But only today he asked the administrative head of the SGP to terminate his business trip retroactively – from May 29.

The Supreme Judicial Council has already been referred to the violation of the rules by prosecutor Stefan Hristov. About him, on May 15, at the press conference, when he demonstratively canceled his resignation, Ivan Geshev announced that he was his friend.

Did the Inspectorate at the SJC, as it was announced at the last online meeting, demand: a report from Stefan Hristov on the movement and initiation of the case and how he was selected for the same case – on a definite or random basis?

As far as I know, Stefan Hristov was appointed by prosecutor Madzharova, the former head of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office.

Has the case been kept “in limbo” by prosecutor Stefan Hristov, after it was initiated in November 2020?

Today, at 6:30 p.m., documents marked “Secret” were brought to the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office regarding this case.

Why and to whom were they handed over?

The inspectorate at the SJC is obliged to follow the movement and rhythm of the procedural-investigative actions and what made it necessary to call witnesses who were not called 2 years ago? If something new has happened, why and where did Stefan Hristov get this information, then act with such urgency?

Concerned prosecutors approached me with the words: “Crimes are being committed in the prosecutor’s office! We may soon be arrested for this. If you are not afraid – write!”

The prosecutor’s office should already on May 15 self-report and request printouts from the phones of Ivan Geshev and Stefan Hristov and how the chief prosecutor contacted prosecutors in the cases of Boyko Borisov, Delyan Dobrev, Nekso and others.

Is it not reprehensible that the chief prosecutor travels around the country, meeting with prosecutors before the decisive vote in the SJC?

Yesterday, Ivan Geshev, although he is on vacation, gathered prosecutors in his office and said: “Boyko Borisov is afraid of only two people: the president and me”!

According to Kiril Petkov, the release of the recordings by Radostin Vassilev was agreed with the services and with President Radev.