Emilia Maslarova, the former social and labour policy minister from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), was indicted by Sofia prosecutors on charges of embezzling 11 million leva during her term in office.

The embezzlement allegedly happened in relation to renovation works at the Centre for Social Services in the town of Stara Zagora.

According to prosecutors, Maslarova and four others had embezzled 11 038 405 leva. Maslarova was set free on 50 000 leva bail, Bulgarian media said.

The other defendants in the case are Dimitar Dimitrov, one of Maslarova's deputy ministers; Ivan Penev, who kept his job as chief secretary of the Labour Ministry after the July 2009 elections, which ousted BSP from power; and Ventsislav Draganov, whose company was hired by the ministry during Maslarova's term to renovate the Centre for Social Services in Stara Zagora. The fourth accused is Mihail Metodiev also from Stara Zagora.

The contract for the repair of the centre was won by Stara Zagora 2007, a company allegedly linked to Maslarova's partner. Some contracts, like the one for door signs, were signed only days before Maslarova left office. The centre was renovated for 19 million leva, or about 2700 leva for a sq m.

In November 2009, Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev asked MPs to strip Maslarova of her immunity from prosecution, which she had under Bulgarian law as an MP. Maslarova voluntarily renounced her immunity before the request was tabled for debate.

In December 2009, Maslarova was removed from her post as chairperson of Parliament's committee on labour and social policy. Maslarova has always maintained she was innocent and claimed accusations were groundless.

Other former ministers in the BSP-led cabinet that are now under investigation, but not indicted yet, are former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov and former defence minister Nikolai Tsonev.