The former Bulgarian Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Emiliya Maslarova, declared Friday she was going to file defamation suits against anyone smearing her name.

Maslarova stated that no one from her family owns any property in the city of Stara Zagora or has any shares in businesses there, adding all her family properties have been publically declared.

Maslarova further said the information that she was keeping Lora Karavelova’s piano in her home was another slander, adding the piano is kept at the National History Museum and she could provide documentation to prove it.

The former Minister pointed out that one of libel suits will definitely be against the Citizens’ Association that had alarmed about the piano, adding: “Who is going to clear my name? They can say next I stole Yavorov’s handgun…”

Maslarova also explained she was going to talk about accusations of committing numerous violations in the so-called “Beautiful Bulgaria” project only after being able to examine the results of the audit.

On Thursday, the parliamentary anti-corruption committee announced they assigned the National Revenue Agency (NRA) to investigate several signals against the former Social Minister.

The NRA agents are to probe violations in the “Beautiful Bulgaria” project, in the renovations of a building of the Labor and Social Policy Ministry in the southern city of Stara Zagora, and a property swap made by Maslarova of two apartments in Sofia's faraway outskirts for which she received a restaurant, a store and a two-story building.

The announcement further said the NRA is also probing why Maslarova is, allegedly, keeping in her house Lora Karavelova's piano, which is an item of high historic and cultural value. (Lora Karavelova is the daughter of prominent Bulgarian politician and late nineteen century Prime Minister, Petko Karavelov, the niece of the great Bulgarian writer and revolutionary Luyben Karavelov and wife of renowned poet Peiyo Yavorov.)

On Monday current Social Minister, Totyu Mladenov, informed that BGN 7,4 M more than what was initially slated has been spent on the so-called “Beautiful Bulgaria” project.

“I wish to question my predecessor, Emiliya Maslarova, where this money has gone,” Mladenov said.

In August, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy launched a full review of the”Beautiful Bulgaria” project.

EUR 71 M is expected to be given to the project in 2009 to over 71 sites in what Maslarova described as one of the best ways of securing employment during the economic crisis. The project provides funding for the repair and construction of social housing, sheltered housing, kindergartens and historical monuments.

A single proposal may receive up to EUR 300 000, of which at least 50 percent must be financed by the contractor. The "Beautiful Bulgaria" project was founded in 1997, initially to repair old buildings and monuments in Sofia.

In addition to the above said investigations Mladenov announced Maslarova is also probed for the May transfer of the Ministry's employees vacation home, near the "Golden Sands" summer resort, to private owners.

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