THE Supreme Cassation Prosecution (SCP) has started a preliminary inquiry into allegations by Sofia regional governor Rossen Vladimirov that Sofia mayor Stefan Sofianski sold or restituted state-owned property in violation of the law.
Following Vladimirov's accusations, Prosecutor-General Nikola Filchev said the prosecution would investigate all deals in which Sofianski had been involved, including those involving municipal property.
Filchev gave the Interior Ministry services two weeks to complete the investigation.
The controversy started at the beginning of this week when Sofianski requested Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg to release Vladimirov from his duties.
Vladimirov, who is also a deputy leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the coalition partners of the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), was MRF candidate for mayor of Sofia in last year's municipal elections.
In an interview with Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Sofianski accused Vladimirov of selling municipal property in a "scandalous manner" and in spite of Sofianski's disagreement, and without his knowledge.
In the same interview, Sofianski said Vladimirov was acting with malice towards Sofia. He said he did not accept Vladimirov being regional governor.
Sofianski alleged that Vladimirov had transformed the lot opposite the Sports and Youth Ministry in Sofia from public municipal property to state-owned property and had sold it to a private investor.
Vladimirov countered that he had documents proving that on a number of occasions, Sofianski had sold state property for "small change" and had restituted state property, quite often in a "scandalous manner".
According to Vladimirov, Sofianski was issuing post factum documents stating that the property was municipal.
In a media statement, the SCP said that it had asked Vladimirov to present proof of his allegations.
Sofianski said he was not worried by the actions of the SCP. If there had been violations, it was more likely they had been by the regional governor's office.
In an interview with bTV, Vladimirov said that through his accusations, Sofianski was pursuing political goals and was attacking the MRF.
During his appearance on bTV, Vladimirov produced documents that he said showed Sofianski has sold a decare in the Boyana area for 1013 leva when the market price of the land there was much higher.
"I still maintain that Sofianski often sells state property. The Sofia municipality quite often misappropriates state property in violation of law and hides the documents from the governor's office," Vladimirov said.
- Staff Reporter
Following Vladimirov's accusations, Prosecutor-General Nikola Filchev said the prosecution would investigate all deals in which Sofianski had been involved, including those involving municipal property.
Filchev gave the Interior Ministry services two weeks to complete the investigation.
The controversy started at the beginning of this week when Sofianski requested Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg to release Vladimirov from his duties.
Vladimirov, who is also a deputy leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the coalition partners of the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), was MRF candidate for mayor of Sofia in last year's municipal elections.
In an interview with Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Sofianski accused Vladimirov of selling municipal property in a "scandalous manner" and in spite of Sofianski's disagreement, and without his knowledge.
In the same interview, Sofianski said Vladimirov was acting with malice towards Sofia. He said he did not accept Vladimirov being regional governor.
Sofianski alleged that Vladimirov had transformed the lot opposite the Sports and Youth Ministry in Sofia from public municipal property to state-owned property and had sold it to a private investor.
Vladimirov countered that he had documents proving that on a number of occasions, Sofianski had sold state property for "small change" and had restituted state property, quite often in a "scandalous manner".
According to Vladimirov, Sofianski was issuing post factum documents stating that the property was municipal.
In a media statement, the SCP said that it had asked Vladimirov to present proof of his allegations.
Sofianski said he was not worried by the actions of the SCP. If there had been violations, it was more likely they had been by the regional governor's office.
In an interview with bTV, Vladimirov said that through his accusations, Sofianski was pursuing political goals and was attacking the MRF.
During his appearance on bTV, Vladimirov produced documents that he said showed Sofianski has sold a decare in the Boyana area for 1013 leva when the market price of the land there was much higher.
"I still maintain that Sofianski often sells state property. The Sofia municipality quite often misappropriates state property in violation of law and hides the documents from the governor's office," Vladimirov said.
- Staff Reporter
