Bulgaria's Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov has asked prosecutors to investigate whether a series of alleged management infractions at thermal power plant Maritsa Iztok 2, in the period 2005/07, were criminal offences. The minister has also asked the State Agency for National Security to check the oversight that was exercised on the coal supplies to the power plant from the Maritsa Iztok mining company.

The move follows the handover of seven reports concerning repair contracts handed by the power plant, the handling of coal stocks and the hedging of the risk from a loan extended by the Japan Bank for International Co-operation. The reports reveal lax control of repair works and misallocation of metal scrap.

Sources told Dnevnik the reports also showed that repair contracts were overpriced and that the power plant used to sell electricity on the deregulated market at a loss.

In 2007, then economy minister Roumen Ovcharov replaced the management of the power plant after an inspection determined delays in the repair projects and irregularities in the award of public procurement contracts.

Later that same year, Dimitrov sacked the management of the power plant, giving no explanation for his decision.