Bulgaria Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, has stated that the six investigated officials from the State Fund ‘Agriculture’ are under suspicion of working for an organized criminal group.

Naydenov, who is on a working visit to Berlin, told reporters that the investigation was taken over from the Management of the Fund by prosecutors, as it involved the search for illegal documents at the homes of the SFA officials.

Unofficial alleged information suggested that Velin Velev, the head of negotiations at the SFA, was fired Wednesday, after being revealed as one of the 6 investigated officials, all of whom allegedly worked in the EU Program for Rural Development and SAPARD department of the Fund.

Deputy Sofia City Prosecutor Bozhidar Dzhambazov confirmed Wednesday that prosecutors are examining eight projects under the EU Program for Rural Development in the State Fund ‘Agriculture’, Deputy Sofia City Prosecutor Bozhidar Dzhambazov confirmed Wednesday.

Dzhambazov said that Wednesday’s raid by the ‘Economic Police’ on the Fund’s Sofia head office had is the result of a two month investigation. He also added that an address outside Sofia had been searched; however there are currently no pre-trial proceedings against any individuals.

In 2008, Bulgaria saw the blocking of millions of euros under the SAPARD program over violations in the State Agriculture Fund, which also acts as the country’s SAPARD Executive Agency.

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