Two officials from the municipal administration in the city of Kardzhali were convicted for misappropriation of office, under an indictment of the District Prosecutor's Office-Kardzhali, one of whom was a former Deputy Mayor with the initials M.A. and a former Chief Accountant, with the initials V.I. This is stated in information from the prosecutor's office published on the administration's website.
It is stated that the two were found guilty of embezzlement, and the punishment imposed by the Kardzhali District Court on each of them is imprisonment for a term of 1 year and 8 months, the execution of which is postponed for a term of 4 years, counting from the entry into force of the sentence.
According to the decision published in the case on the District Court's website, the two defendants, in complicity, ordered and paid a company for unperformed activities under a contract awarded by the Kardzhali Municipality for winter maintenance and snow removal of the fourth-class municipal road network. The funds were disbursed by a payment order dated May 2017. The amount paid in favor of a commercial company exceeds 25 thousand leva including VAT.
The former deputy mayor of the municipality was also sentenced to a penalty of “deprivation of the right to hold the position of deputy mayor of a municipality for a period of 3 years”, as well as a penalty of “deprivation of the right to exercise a profession related to management, custody and disposal of goods and material values in a state or municipal institution, enterprise or organization” for a period of 3 years.
The former chief accountant of the municipality was also sentenced to a penalty of “deprivation of the right” to hold the position of “Head of the Financial and Accounting Department” and “Chief Accountant” in municipal administration for a term of 3 years and a penalty of “deprivation of the right to practice a profession related to management, custody and disposal of material assets in a state or municipal institution, enterprise or organization” for a term of 3 years.
The verdict has not entered into force and is subject to appeal or protest before the Court of Appeal-Plovdiv within 15 days.