Acting Minister of Justice Krum Zarkov stated that, in his opinion, neither Ivan Geshev nor his deputy Borislav Sarafov should be the chief prosecutor.
Zarkov called on the members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) not to hide. “There is a way out of the situation and it is not eccentric – let everyone do their job”, he told Nova TV after the removal of Ivan Geshev from the post of chief prosecutor was requested last week, and on Monday he publicly resigned and made accusations against his deputy Borislav Sarafov, as well as against political figures. Sarafov was worried about his life and asked for protection from the state.
“What we heard yesterday is just confirmation of what some of us have been saying for years. We’ve heard a specific case being used — it doesn’t matter which or against whom. We’ve heard others say that there was an attempt to drop that case.”Zarkov pointed out.
According to the minister, the High Judicial Council will find a solution to this case and “they cannot and should not hide”. “This Supreme Judicial Council has had a very controversial term and has the opportunity to end it in a different way”Zarkov said and announced that the SJC is currently “the only constitutional arbiter”.
According to him, the long-delayed reform of the system is the reason for yesterday’s scandal in the Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigation. “This is the result of questions that were never answered and are now being answered in the most brutal and ugly way possible”, said the minister. He emphasized the need for such accusations, which were made between Ivan Geshev and his deputy Borislav Sarafov, to be investigated authoritatively and impartially.
Zarkov explained what would happen in such a case if the justice reform was carried out: “It will be referred to the Criminal Panel of the Supreme Court of Cassation, which will appoint a magistrate who is currently a Chief Justice or with the rank of Chief Justice, who will become an ad hoc prosecutor and will be able to investigate this matter without doubt that before or after the investigation has been or will be under the influence of those it investigates”.
According to Zarkov, this is important, “because this will be neither a prosecutor nor an investigator and will not be one of their subordinates”.
It was understood from Zarkov’s words that the Ministry of Justice provided the security requested by Sarafov: “I have never refused protection to a magistrate when he requested one”.
