INTERIOR Ministry chief secretary General Boiko Borissov said that in the past year 43 ministry employees had been fired over corruption charges.
Borissov said that the departments most vulnerable to corruption were the border checkpoints and traffic police. He also said he agreed with the statement made by US Embassy charge d'affaires Roderick Moore. Last week Moore said that corruption in Bulgaria is state policy.
Borissov said that there must be a clear dividing line between the three sectors of the judiciary system, which includes not only judges but also investigators and prosecutors. According to him, at every moment it must be clear what are the levels of corruption.
Borrisov noted that there had been many cases in which people charged with obvious crimes were acquitted by the courts. "This hints at something," he said.
Deputy chief prosecutor Hristo Manchev, however, during the international conference on the role of the authorities in the fight against corruption, said that in the past year 4 458 investigations for corruption were opened.
Of these 64 were for bribery, 1025 for embezzlement, 239 for disadvantageous transactions, and 711 for malpractice.
According to Manchev, in the past three years the prosecutor's office had opened cases for alleged corruption against two deputy prime ministers, six ministers, nine deputy ministers and three MPs. In the period between 1999 and 2002 a total 910 people were sentenced for corruption-related crimes, Manchev said.
According to him, the prosecutor's office had taken serious measures against corruption and set up specific departments in the Supreme Cassation Prosecution. Manchev also said that the participation of MPs and ministers on the boards of various companies created serious premises for corruption.
"Regretfully, the new bills are limiting the control of the judiciary system," Manchev said.
Borissov said that the departments most vulnerable to corruption were the border checkpoints and traffic police. He also said he agreed with the statement made by US Embassy charge d'affaires Roderick Moore. Last week Moore said that corruption in Bulgaria is state policy.
Borissov said that there must be a clear dividing line between the three sectors of the judiciary system, which includes not only judges but also investigators and prosecutors. According to him, at every moment it must be clear what are the levels of corruption.
Borrisov noted that there had been many cases in which people charged with obvious crimes were acquitted by the courts. "This hints at something," he said.
Deputy chief prosecutor Hristo Manchev, however, during the international conference on the role of the authorities in the fight against corruption, said that in the past year 4 458 investigations for corruption were opened.
Of these 64 were for bribery, 1025 for embezzlement, 239 for disadvantageous transactions, and 711 for malpractice.
According to Manchev, in the past three years the prosecutor's office had opened cases for alleged corruption against two deputy prime ministers, six ministers, nine deputy ministers and three MPs. In the period between 1999 and 2002 a total 910 people were sentenced for corruption-related crimes, Manchev said.
According to him, the prosecutor's office had taken serious measures against corruption and set up specific departments in the Supreme Cassation Prosecution. Manchev also said that the participation of MPs and ministers on the boards of various companies created serious premises for corruption.
"Regretfully, the new bills are limiting the control of the judiciary system," Manchev said.
