Angel Angelov, regional prosecutor of the Black Sea city of Bourgas, has filed his resignation, Bulgarian BTA news agency quoted a statement by the Supreme Judicial Council on October 26 2009.

"There has been doubt about my appointment which is why I am filing my resignation," Angelov said in his resignation before SJC.

He was referring to the call SJC sent out on October 22 2009 asking that all magistrates recorded having telephone conversations with Krassimir Georgiev, investigated for trading with influence within the judiciary, to resign.

The so-called brokerage scandal surfaced in June when SJC member Ivan Kolev said that Georgiev had been acting as a broker in the judiciary.

Georgiev claimed he could secure a high-profile magistrate position to anyone willing to pay 200 000 euro. This was possible because Krassyo could count on the support of between eight and 13 SJC members who appoint magistrates.

Investigators subsequently found more than 30 telephone numbers of top magistrates in Georgiev's phone book.
Angelov is the second top magistrate to file resignations over the scandal after an SJC member Stoiko Stoev did so two weeks ago. Both, however, deny allegations of peddling influence.

Angelov admits having had phone conversations with Georgiev on the day of his appointment but said that the conversations had nothing to do with his work.

Angelov's nomination for his second term in office, which he took in June this year, was raised by Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev.