THE citizen's club December 14, founded by former deputy leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) Edvin Sugarev, held its first public discussion last week. The meeting's main topic was, "Who does Bulgaria belong to? - To its citizens or to the mafia?" The meeting was attended by around 1000 people, according to the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).
Head of the Sofia District Court and member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Nelly Kutskova, Varna prosecutor Vassil Mikov, Sugarev, and former head of the National Security Service General Atanas Atanassov made presentations and expressed opinions on the problems of the judiciary system.
The club also invited President Georgi Purvanov, Parliamentary Speaker Ognyan Gerdjikov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg and Minister of Justice Anton Stankov. None of them, however, showed up.
According to Kutskova, the judiciary system has a debt to society, but honest magistrates need the support of the public in order to fulfill their duties. "The role of the public is to prevent the mafia from ruling the country," Kutskova said. She also appealed for civic pressure for constitutional changes.
Mikov said that the crisis in the judiciary system is a part of the omnipresent crisis of the authorities and the society. Atanassov went further by saying that the current Government is a puppet of the mafia.
Three Plovidv prosecutor's offices - the appellate, the district and the regional, accused the citizens' club of attempting to destabilise the judiciary system.
"At the forum the speakers said that the prosecution is ruled by the mafia and that it protects the criminal world," read the Plovdiv prosecutors' declaration. "There has also been sharp criticism of Chief Prosecutor Nikola Filchev stating that because of him the bank trials were closed without verdicts." According to the prosecutors, such statements only serve the interests of organised crime.
Earlier this week the head of the Supreme Cassation Court (SCC) Ivan Grigorov said that the police were trying to manipulate public opinion by accusing the judiciary system of incompetence and corruption. According to him, the police are trying to hide their own inefficiency by only registering committed crimes.
Head of the Sofia District Court and member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Nelly Kutskova, Varna prosecutor Vassil Mikov, Sugarev, and former head of the National Security Service General Atanas Atanassov made presentations and expressed opinions on the problems of the judiciary system.
The club also invited President Georgi Purvanov, Parliamentary Speaker Ognyan Gerdjikov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg and Minister of Justice Anton Stankov. None of them, however, showed up.
According to Kutskova, the judiciary system has a debt to society, but honest magistrates need the support of the public in order to fulfill their duties. "The role of the public is to prevent the mafia from ruling the country," Kutskova said. She also appealed for civic pressure for constitutional changes.
Mikov said that the crisis in the judiciary system is a part of the omnipresent crisis of the authorities and the society. Atanassov went further by saying that the current Government is a puppet of the mafia.
Three Plovidv prosecutor's offices - the appellate, the district and the regional, accused the citizens' club of attempting to destabilise the judiciary system.
"At the forum the speakers said that the prosecution is ruled by the mafia and that it protects the criminal world," read the Plovdiv prosecutors' declaration. "There has also been sharp criticism of Chief Prosecutor Nikola Filchev stating that because of him the bank trials were closed without verdicts." According to the prosecutors, such statements only serve the interests of organised crime.
Earlier this week the head of the Supreme Cassation Court (SCC) Ivan Grigorov said that the police were trying to manipulate public opinion by accusing the judiciary system of incompetence and corruption. According to him, the police are trying to hide their own inefficiency by only registering committed crimes.
