Bulgarian Interior Minister Accuses Judge of Mafia Ties
Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev said that the prosecution would not pursue charges against Sofia City Court judge Miroslava Todorova, who was accused by the Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov of having ties with the mafia.
In several media appearances two weeks ago Tsvetanov accused Todorova, who chairs the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA) of incompetence, as well as of delaying the issuance of written motives for verdicts against high profile crime figures such as the drug lord Vasil Manikatov.
The judge responded by explaining that the delay did not obstruct justice in any way as the offender in question was already behind bars during the delay. Todorova also threatened to sue the Interior Minister for libel.
Responding to Tsvetanov‘s accusations, three former chairs of the BJA demanded that the Chief Prosecutor investigate the credibility of the allegations brought by the Interior Minister. The former BJA chairs asked whether Tsvetanov has officially contacted the prosecution if he was aware of inappropriate actions by Todorova.