Bulgaria Charges Former Social Minister with Abuse of Power

Crime | February 23, 2010, Tuesday // 11:52
Bulgaria: Bulgaria Charges Former Social Minister with Abuse of Power Emiliya Maslarova has slammed the goings-on as a scenario, concocted to discredit her, and has promised full cooperation so that the truth may win. Photo by BGNES

Emiliya Maslarova, Bulgaria's former Labor Minister and currently Socialist member of parliament, was charged with abuse of power and embezzlement on Tuesday, four months after she voluntarily gave up her immunity from prosecution.

Maslarova refused to comment on her way out of the National Investigation Office, where her former deputy Dimitar Dimitrov and close friend Ventsislav Draganov are expected to arrive later in the day.

The former minister has been released on bail of BGN 50,000.

According to senior prosecution Boris Velchev, a probe had shown that the Ministry of Labor and Social Services, under the leadership of Emiliya Maslarova, had slated BGN 18,8 M for the renovations of a social home in the southern city of Stara Zagora.

Only BGN 7,8 M have been used for construction and repairs, while the remaining BNG 11 M were embezzled through fake invoices.

The Prosecutor’s Office accuses Maslarova of using the money for the benefit of herself and Ventsislav Draganov.

Bulgaria's previous Socialist-led government has been lately hit by a series of corruption scandals.

Former prime minister Sergey Stanishev has been accused of losing classified reports on crime, while ex-farm Minister Valeri Tsvetanov and Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev have been charged with abuse of power.

Bulgaria's new center-right government, which swept the elections in July, is trying to shake off the country's reputation for rampant corruption and crime, and has pledged to step up the fight against graft.

Crime » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Emiliya Maslarova

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria