Van Orden: Today's Bulgaria is Swamp Full of Alligators

Politics | May 8, 2007, Tuesday // 00:00
Bulgaria: Van Orden: Today's Bulgaria is Swamp Full of Alligators Geoffrey Van Orden (L), former rapporteur for Bulgaria in the European Parliament, joined in Sofia a debate of the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces, led by Petar Stoyanov (R). Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)

Geoffrey Van Orden has warned the country not to rely too much on Brussels to resolve the high-ranking corruption scandal.

The scandal trigged the suspension of the Economy and Energy minister Rumen Ovcharov and saw two deputy ministers dismissed.

The European Commission has experts that may help the Bulgarian authorities, but they won't lead the investigation, Geoffrey Van Orden, former rapporteur for Bulgaria in the European Parliament, said in Sofia.

Van Orden described the scandal, involving the head of the national investigative service Anguel Alexandrov and Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov, as a crisis that calls for a hard-line approach.

He compared the present situation in the country to a swamp full of alligators.

Geoffrey Van Orden, currently a British MEP, cited the experience of his country, saying that a few ministers handed in their resignations in similar cases.

He conceded that the allegations must first be proved but called on all people investigated to exit the political scene.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev suspended Rumen Ovcharov over the weekend, saying he wanted to send "a clear signal" that the cabinet would not tolerate political corruption.

Ovcharov has been accused of meddling in official investigations of high-level corruption involving the Sofia city heating company and tobacco monopoly Bulgatabac.

Anguel Alexandrov was also suspended after claiming that he was threatened by Ovcharov.

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