Prosecutors have pressed charges against two MPs from the opposition Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party, on accusations of document fraud, the office of the Prosecutor-General said on December 7 2009.

The MPs in question are Gyunai Sefer and Mithat Tabakov, who have been banned from leaving the country and were set on bail, which requires them to report to authorities every day.

Sefer and Tabakov are the first members of the MRF, which was part of Bulgaria's tripartite ruling coalition in 2005/09, to face charges.

Sefer is being investigated over document fraud, while Tabakov is being probed for malfeasance in office from the days when he was mayor of the small town of Doulovo. Sefer used to be municipal councillor in Doulovo.

The accusations come three weeks after Prosecutor-General Boris Vlechev asked Parliament to strip the immunity from prosecution from the two MPs. Following his request, Sefer and Tabakov voluntarily gave up their MPs' immunity from prosecution.

So far, Velchev has asked Parliament to strip the immunity from prosecution of former prime minister Sergei Stanishev and Emilia Maslarova, former social and labour policy minister in Stanishev's cabinet.

Stanishev is the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, of which Maslarova is also a member. Both voluntarily gave up their immunity following Velchev's requests.

Other members from Stanishev's cabinet who are facing investigations are former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov from the MRF and former defence minister Nikolai Tsonev from the National Movement for Stability and Progress party, which failed to make it to Parliament after the July 2009 elections.