Sectoral anti-corruption plans in the spheres of healthcare, energy, agriculture, transport, tax administration and customs authorities, are to be ready by end-October, according to a decision of the National Council for Anti-Corruption Practices announced on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s meeting of the Council was closed.

The preparation of sectoral anti-corruption plans was included in the new strategy for the fight against corruption in the period 2015-2020, according to the press office of the government, as cited by investor.bg.

The completed plan for preventing corruption at Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry, which was first presented on Tuesday, was discussed during Wednesday’s meeting of the Council.

Deputy Interior Minister Filip Gunev presented Wednesday the measures taken by the Interior Ministry in the sphere of fighting electoral corruption, including the identification of high-risk persons and polling stations and the creation of a monitoring system.

Wednesday’s meeting featured a discussion on the achievements of the special inter-departmental anti-corruption unit.
The National Council for Anti-Corruption Practices was established in May 2015 to coordinate anti-corruption policies and the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy by pooling the resources of the prosecuting authority, the Interior Ministry and the State Agency for National Security (DANS).

The prosecuting authority announced that charges had so far been pressed against 12 magistrates, including 8 judges, 3 prosecutors, and 1 investigating magistrate, and that 161 inspections had been opened on complaints and tip-offs for offences committed by magistrates, of which 88 had been wrapped up.

The representatives of the prosecuting authority made clear that 8 magistrates (6 judges, 1 prosecutor, and 1 investigating magistrate) had been brought before court, 10 pre-trial proceedings against senior public officials were underway, indictments had been submitted against 4, and 22 inspections had been launched.

It was announced that the next meeting of the Council would include discussions on the sectoral anti-corruption plans, on opportunities for civic education on the fight against corruption, and on the ethical standards for the public sector developed by the Center for Prevention und Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (CPSCOC).

Apart from the National Council for Anti-Corruption Practices, a new anti-corruption unit is to start functioning as of 2016. The new entity will unite the Bulgaria's Conflict of Interest Commission, the Center for Prevention und Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, and a unit of the National Audit Office specialized in checking property declarations of politicians.

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