"The resignation of the head of the National Road Infrastructure Fund (NRIF) Veselin Georgiev depends on the assessment of the management board of the fund," Transport Minister Petar Moutafchiev told journalists on January 25, before taking the first electrical train from Sofia to Septemvri.

Moutafchiev said he had ordered an investigation into the accusations of abuse by two directors of the NRIF, Dnevnik daily said. The investigation would be performed by the inspectorate of the Finance Ministry and would include officials from the Regional Development Ministry, because until a year-and-a-half ago, the NRIF was under the Regional Development Ministry.

Moutafchiev said there was no case of corruption in the implementation of the EU Operative Programme Transport. On January 24, the director for the department for absorbing European funds, Lyubomir Lilov, and his subordinate Ivan Vladimirov, were arrested on the accusation of demanding and accepting bribes.

Until now, the NRIF had had positive results, Moutafchiev said. Adding that in 2007, around 2000 km of roads in Bulgaria had been reconstructed by the NRIF.

The slightest doubts of corruption could hinder the realisation of infrastructure projects already under way with European funding, he said.

Moutafchiev said he hoped that anti-corruption measures the NRIF would take, would prevent future cases.