PES Leader to Face Court in Bulgaria in 'Lost Files' Case March 18

Crime | January 16, 2014, Thursday // 14:36
PES Leader to Face Court in Bulgaria in 'Lost Files' Case March 18: PES Leader to Face Court in Bulgaria in 'Lost Files' Case March 18 Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, of the Party of European Socialists, PES, and former PM, photo BGNES

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergey Stanishev will face the Court on March 18 in the so-called "lost documents" case.

The Sofia City Court (SGS) judges' panel will be presided by Alexandra Yordanova.

The Prosecutor's Office logged a proposal with SGS just before the winter holidays a proposal to lift legal responsibility from Stanishev and to impose an administrative sanction on him.

Stanishev is asking for his case to be tried in Court.

In October 2013, he voluntarily gave up his immunity as Member of Parliament.

Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Mihail Mikov then sent a letter to Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, informing him that Stanishev, who is also president of the Party of European Socialists (PES), has agreed to be prosecuted.

The legal investigation against Stanishev stemmed from the case where he was charged with losing 7 classified documents containing information constituting a state secret, while in office as Prime Minister (2005-2009).

In 2012, the case was returned to the Sofia City Court for retrial, but prosecutors faced difficulties in following the instructions given to them.

In mid-November 2011, the Sofia City Court opened the administrative case against Stanishev on charges of losing classified documents while in office.

The indictment was submitted to the court more than a year after Stanishev was officially charged amid lots of media fuss.

The papers had been handed to him in person and against his signature in the period November 4, 2005 - September 10, 2009, when he was Prime Minister of Bulgaria heading the Three-Way Coalition government of his Socialist Party, the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), and the National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NSMP) of former Tsar and PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg.

Three of the secret files had been prepared by the State Agency for National Security (DANS), two by the Interior Ministry, one by the Defense Minister and one by NATO.

After an investigation of 20-plus months, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office issued a ruling with a proposal for imposing a fine as an administrative penalty, reminding that Stanishev had a clear criminal record and that his actions had not caused any material damages.

Under Bulgarian legislation, Stanishev can be fined with up to BGN 5 000.

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Tags: DANS, Movement for Stability and Prosperity, Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Sergey Stanishev, Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, Sofia City Court, fine, three-way coalition, DPS, NDSV, Sofia City Prosecutor, Evgeni Dikov, immunity, MPs, Rumyana Aranaudova, Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, PES, State Agency for National Security

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