Bulgaria Prosecutor Initiates Charges against Ex-Labor Minister

Bulgaria’s Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, has initiated a procedure for bringing charges against former Labor Minister, Emiliya Maslarova.

This has been announced Friday by Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva who said Velchev requested a procedure to lift Maslarova’s MP immunity.

Emiliya Maslarova is a MP from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, she was the Labor Minister at the Stanishev government (2005-2009).

Upon assuming office, Maslarova’s successor from the GERB party, Totyu Mladenov, said she was responsible for violations in public procurement procedures including excessive spending on repairs of state property performed by favored firms.

Maslarova herself said from Parliament floor she was not going to hinder the investigation against her in any way.

If charged, she will be the second Stanishev cabinet Minister to face legal charges after former Agriculture Minister Valeri Tsvetanov was charged with criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in September 2009.

Former PM Sergey Stanishev himself is also facing potential charges over the alleged leaking and mishandling of classified information including top secret reports of the Interior Ministry and the State National Security Agency DANS.