“Recognizing Long-Established Problems in Bulgaria’s Legal Community: Insights from Acting Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev”

“Ivan Geshev and Borislav Sarafov recognized practices and facts that have long been talked about in the legal community. These problems have existed for years, but they were cleverly concealed and kept silent.” This is what the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivan Demerdzhiev, told BNR.

“Many people, including myself, pointed out these problems over the years, we wanted them to be seen and understood that these problems harm not only the prosecutor’s office, not only the judiciary, they harm the entire country. They were silent and in fact they were recognized at the beginning of last week. The fact that they were recognized by the magistrates themselves created the impression that these problems are now a fact. They were a fact years ago, but they were skillfully kept quiet and covered up,” said Demerdzhiev.

And he added that the events in the prosecutor’s office do not affect the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and since nine months the system has been carrying out a consistent policy related to the fight against corruption. He specified that there has been significant progress in the investigation of the accident involving the Prosecutor General’s car.

“It was an assassination attempt. Whether it’s to intimidate or to physically eliminate the attorney general, it’s an unacceptable assault. I don’t want to commit to specific versions, but in light of everything that’s been heard, it sounds more likely to me personally is an action aimed at warning or intimidating the Attorney General,” the interior minister said.

In the “Nedelya 150” show, Demerdzhiev emphasized that the practice of “cadaver cases” can be stopped with legislative changes to discipline the prosecutor’s office in closing cases. And in his words, the influence between politicians and magistrates is two-way.

“It seems extremely unpleasant a situation in which political circles and circles from the prosecutor’s office settle accounts. Bulgaria expects a working prosecutor’s office, that there should be an objective and equal approach to all proceedings. This was partially understood. I hope there will be no witch hunt, but real ones actions”, the minister pointed out.

In connection with the war on the roads, he explained that the fight against road trauma is not only the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, but also of the API, the municipalities, the prosecutor’s office, and the court. And legislative changes are needed.