Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) dismissed two prosecutors from the Supreme Prosecution of Cassation (SPC) on charges of lowering the prestige of Bulgaria’s jurisdiction.

Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev demanded the dismissal in November 2006, mediapool.bg said.

Velchev said that he managed to convince disciplinary commission to dismiss the prosecutors, despite the commission’s will only to reduce them in rank.

Tseko Iordanov, one of the dismissed prosecutors, was also member of SJC, but was discharged from that post. Until recently Bulgaria’s constitution lacked procedure for dismissing SJC member, mediapool.bg said.

Investigation showed that Iordanov committed various violations. Velchev asked him to resign, but Iordanov refused and was dismissed.

The two dismissed prosecutors were well-known for being close to former prosecutor-general Nikola Filchev.

Velchev said that more trials involving prosecutors would be launched soon. The prosecutors will be accused of delaying trials which became void by prescription. Trial delaying was ‘epidemic,’ Velchev said.