Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) has fired the first magistrate over contacts with the infamous Krasimir Georgiev aka “Krasio from Pleven.”

On Thursday the VSS decided to sack the former Chair of the Veliko Tarnovo District Court, Daniel Minov, who had earlier been found to have held one meeting and 14 telephone conversations with Krasio.

VSS members refused to confirm exactly why Minov was fired while other magistrates involved in the affair were only demoted.

Minov denied that his contacts with Krasio were in anyway scandalous and stated that in fact he had been probing intrusions into his personal property.

VSS decided earlier in February to penalize 4 magistrates over their contacts with the scandalous Georgiev.

Krasio became known after his name was tangled in a corruption scheme where he, allegedly, offered magistrates to secure their appointment to high ranking positions through the vote of the VSS in exchange for EUR 200 000 in cash.