Prosecution in Bulgaria was still working on the inquiry into the row involving the names of both former Economy and Energy Minister Roumen Ovcharov and former National Investigative Service Angel Alexandrov, Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev said during the second day of the forum titled Bulgaria's progress towards its recognition as a European state of law.
The row erupted in the beginning of May 2007 when Alexandrov accused Ovcharov of threatening him. In June 2007 both resigned.
“Nothing had finished yet. When we finish, have a little more patience, the results will be announced,” Velchev said.
Velchev said that he would not allow rash haste in the work of the Prosecution. It was more important for the prosecution to do its job well, instead of fast, he said.
Fair trial was neither fast, nor easy,” Velchev said. “The truth is that we follow severe, very formal rules, to guarantee the rights of everyone.”
At the forum, Velchev presented a report on the implementation of a plan of action in the judicial system. The plan was based on a “profound analysis” of the European Commission report from June 2007 and its recommendations to Bulgarian authorities, Velchev said. The plan included, among others, constitution amendments providing indisputable independence of the judicial system, transparent and effective trials, new Law for the Judicial System and Civil Procedure Code, judicial system reforms continuation; investigation of corruption among high level officials; measures in the fight against organised crime and money laundering and the seizure of property of criminals.
Velchev said that by the end of November 2007, a permanent inspectorate under the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) would be created to monitor the work of the judicial system bodies. By the end of December a permanent budget and financial committee of SJC members would guarantee the independence of the judicial system budget.
The new Law for the Judicial System was already approved and the Civil Procedure Code was soon to become a fact.
Velchev said that the Interior Ministry and the prosecution would keep a close eye on municipal authorities for corruption cases. “We have to be honest, there were cases of vote-buying” in the municipal elections. “Bulgaria achieved a significant progress in corruption prevention at the borders,” now it was the turn of municipal authorities, Velchev said.
As to the fight against organised crime and money laundering, Bulgaria co-operated with EU members in a number of mutual operations and carried out activities under the PHARE programme.
The Prosecutor-General said that a number of high-level magistrates had been fired over delaying trials. In 2006, 16 000 trials were ceased because they exceeded the maximum period. The number for 2007 would most probably be the same. The figure was ‘fearsome’. More magistrates would be fired if prove was found, he said. Still, not the current prosecutors, not even the prosecutors five years ago, were to blame, Velchev said. In some cases prosecutors who worked in the system 15 to 20 years ago were guilty for the delays.
“Have a little mercy towards the prosecution,” Velchev appealed. “Not everything depends on us,” he said and emphasised that the environment the prosecution was working in should be taken into consideration. The prosecution was short of several hundred computers and space, among others, to provide normal working conditions for the prosecutors.
Velchev said that the Prosecutor-General was not an “Eastern ruler” with unlimited power. On the contrary, he could not even make a remark to the prosecutors because the Supreme Judicial Council had to approve each decision of the Prosecutor-General.
Change in the prosecution was visible, but probably not enough. Still, the trend for change was irreversible, Velchev said.
