Bulgaria Interior: 'Mafia Tribunals' Only Way to Tackle Organized Crime

Politics » DOMESTIC | May 3, 2010, Monday // 19:13
Bulgaria: Bulgaria Interior: 'Mafia Tribunals' Only Way to Tackle Organized Crime Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov firmly defended the establishment of a 'mafia' tribunal during Monday's round-table discussion. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's interior minister stood firmly behind his idea to set up special courts to try the country's most dangerous criminals, ringleaders, and corrupt individuals at high-ranking positions.

During discussion on the establishment of a 'mafia' tribunal Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov declared that those who are against it are in support of organized crime in Bulgaria.

“Today we are reaping the fruits of an impotent judicial system. If we had an effective prosecution we would not be discussing now the need for the establishment of special courts,” said Tsvetanov.

Foreign diplomats, including the US ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick and Spain's ambassador in Sofia Jorge Fuentes also attended the Monday round-table discussion.

The Law Program director of the Open Society Institute in Sofia, Ivanka Ivanova expressed her opinion that court which is set to be established will fail to fulfill its task if the reasons for the current inefficiency of the Bulgarian legal system are not carefully examined.

The President of the Bulgarian Supreme Bar Council Daniela Dokovska said that the idea of a 'mafia' tribunal will legitimize two kinds of courts in Bulgaria: one for general trials and another, a 'special' one for “those cases that the government wants to win by all means.”

The leader of the far-right Ataka party Volen Siderov harshly criticized the opponents to the idea for the creation of a special court, stating all those who are against it or have doubts about it are linked with the organized crime world in Bulgaria.

Siderov said Monday that if it was up to him he would not invite a representative of the Open Society Institute in Sofia to the round-table discussion as the founder of OSI, George Soros is being investigated for tax evasion in the US.

The co-leader of the Blue Coalition and Bulgaria's ex Prime Minister Ivan Kostov was quick to complement Minister Tsvetanov on his idea,saying that the Bulgarian Minister”should not be the only one to bear the heavy burden of organized crime and the court should start fulfilling its obligations.”

The chair of Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court Konstantin Penchev conceded that the establishment of a similar specialized judicial body will speed up the work of the court. He rejected the suggestion that only 'obedient' magistrates will appointed to work on the new 'mafia' tribunal

According to the head of Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council Tsoni Tsonev, the moral values of the magistrates who will work in the new court need to be carefully probed into.

The Interior Minister, who is behind the idea for the tribunal, insists Bulgaria needs such institution and its establishment would require amendments in the Legislative Power Act and the Penal Code, but would not change anything in the way criminal justice functions.

Tsvetanov further pointed out in other countries, such as Slovakia, similar tribunals have proven effective, adding the latest amendments in the Penal Code allow the establishment of such judicial entity in Bulgaria.

According to Tsvetanov, the way magistrates are selected will not change, except for some additional requirements –they will be nominated by the Justice Minister, but will be checked beforehand and will be required to take a lie-detector exam.

The Minister recently voiced his idea for such tribunal which would issue verdicts within 12 months, triggering negative comments from lawyers, who say the fact the police have carried out several high-profile operations is nothing exceptional to require the creation of new courts and those operations should be routine police work.

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Tags: Tsvetan Tsvetanov, organized crime, corruption, judicial system

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