The members of Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council criticized Wednesday the report of the European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF, which leaked to the press last week, and revealed scandalous violations in SAPARD funds absorption as well as political cover-ups.

The Bulgarian magistrates pointed out that the OLAF report was written in a "reproaching" style.

The Chair of the Committee for Combating Corruption at the Council Tsoni Tsonev said the report contained no specific facts and evidence but was filled with many emotional phrases.

The magistrates agreed to inspect the two suits against the two Bulgarian businessmen mentioned in the OLAF Report - Lyudmil Stoykov and Mario Nikolov, who are allegedly involved in the draining of millions of SAPARD money, and in money laundering.

The Chair of the Supreme Cassation Court Lazar Gruev announced he had ordered an analysis of the two investigations against Stoykov and Nikolov since their beginning in 2006, and said there had been no unfounded delays.

Eventually the magistrates decided both the Inspectorate at the Council, and the Committee for Combating Corruption would look into the two cases mentioned in the OLAF Report.

The Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev accepted both recommendations of the report - that the two cases against Stoykov and Nikolov should be considered together, and that the Bulgarian authorities should boost their cooperation with OLAF.

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