Borislav Sarafov, the Acting Prosecutor General, has appointed Vanya Stefanova as his first deputy, with the decision being unanimously approved by the Prosecutorial College. The appointment comes at a time when Sarafov has been working with only one deputy, Elena Karakasheva, after Maria Pavlova was appointed acting justice minister. The delay in appointing a new deputy has raised concerns, particularly as there are currently three vacant deputy prosecutor positions.

The proposal for Stefanova’s appointment, which was presented by Sarafov, was discussed briefly during the first meeting of the Prosecutorial College of the year. The meeting, lasting only about five minutes, did not address the ongoing criticisms surrounding Sarafov’s election process as prosecutor general, which is set to take place next Thursday.

Stefanova, who currently leads the specialized department at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, was deemed to meet all the necessary criteria for the role. Kalina Chapkanova, a member of the Prosecutorial College, acknowledged that the appointment was overdue, given the difficulties Sarafov has faced with only one deputy. Gergana Mutafova, another member of the Supreme Judicial Council, also expressed support for the decision, emphasizing the importance of filling the deputy positions to ease Sarafov’s workload.

Source:

• Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)
• Bulgarian National Television (BNT)