Bulgaria's Interior Lists 304 "Criminals"

Crime | May 29, 2006, Monday // 00:00
Bulgaria's Interior Lists 304 "Criminals" Interior Minister Rumen Petkov (C) handed to Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev (R) lists with names of people with more than two pending trials, who are still at large. Photo by Juliana Nikolova (Sofia News Agency)

Bulgaria's interior minister made yet another move to speed up and bring to indictments legal proceedings against people with more than one pending trials, who are currently at large. As before, however, no names were disclosed.

Minister Rumen Petkov handed to Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev and Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev lists with 304 names of such people.

He declined to announce the names of the people enlisted, but specified they are charged with money laundering and drug trafficking.

Local media reports say the names of organized crime groupings heads do not feature on the lists. They contain however the name of journalist Bobi Tsankov, who was recently acquitted of charges of fraud, launched by a business lady.

Bobi Tsankov, 27, who shifted from radio to TV anchoring, was detained at the end of February. Tsankov became a household name three years ago when a business lady accused him of stealing BGN 50,000 (approximately EUR 25,000) from her. Nearly 100 complaints have been lodged at the Economic Police from citizens who claim the journalist has incurred them financial losses.

At a Saturday's meeting of the Supreme Council of ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Minister Rumen Petkov said his ministry will focus its efforts on the investigation of the contract murders in the country. He said the lists, to be presented to the prime minister, contain the names of people, charged with car thefts and home violence.

Bulgaria has been seriously criticized by the European Union (EU) for its impotence to cope with organized crime and money laundry. The judicial system in the Balkan country has also been subjected to serious reproaches by the European Commission. The country has to find ways to curb these serious problems by October, when the EC is to decide whether the planned for January 1, 2007 entry of the country is to be postponed by a year.

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