The case surrounding Emilia Rusinova, Borislav Sarafov, the "Eight Dwarfs" and the statements of the European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva is not an isolated scandal, but a symptom of a deeper structural problem - suspicions of a "conquered state" and parallel centers of influence in the Bulgarian judicial system.
The first to speak about the "family" was prosecutor Nevena Zartova, who, during a hearing in parliament, pointed out that the "Eight Dwarfs" was "the biggest corruption scheme in this system" that the regional prosecutor's office had tried to investigate. Ultimately, however, the case was seized by the city prosecutor's office and terminated. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Zartova in this regard in February 2024.
At the end of May 2023, the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office brought Petyo Petrov – Euroto as a defendant for coercion and for using special technical means to collect information. The prosecutor's office announced that they had taken action based on media publications and had launched an investigation into the fact that in the period from 2018 to May 29, 2023, various individuals were forced to perform actions against their will, including through threats, and that illegal means of surveillance were used.
Since Petrov was not found to be charged, he was declared wanted. In August of the same year, the case was seized by the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, which annulled the decree to bring him as a defendant for coercion as illegal. However, the investigation against him remains in connection with the case of the “Eight Dwarfs“ regarding the misappropriation of material evidence.
“Things in the judicial system are sinister. This system is far from clean as a tear“, Zartova told the deputies at the time.
According to her, magistrates associated with Petyo Petrov called themselves “family“ with pride. “I was offered to become part of this family and I refused“, she said, but refused to name specific names in order to avoid legal consequences. She emphasized that she was ready to give testimony if an official investigation was opened.
The “Eight Dwarfs“ investigation outlined a model in 2020 in which informal networks exert influence on the prosecution, business conflicts and even the ownership of companies. In this model, figures such as Petyo Petrov – The Euro are intermediaries between business interests and the state prosecution.
Recently, the case has taken on a new development. It became clear that, by order of Sofia City Prosecutor Emilia Rusinova, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office has seized the file opened in the Directorate for the Prevention of Corruption and Organized Crime (GDBOP) upon a signal from the European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva, in which Rusinova herself is mentioned.
The Minister of Interior announced that all operatives who worked on the file were questioned within the framework of an opened investigation case, led by an investigator from the Investigation Department of the State Prosecutor's Office.
An additional layer to the case is added by data according to which Rusinova traveled abroad many times in the same company with Petyo Petrov, including after the public outbreak of the "Eight Dwarfs" scandal. This raises serious questions about the sustainability of these ties despite their public exposure.
The testimony of Teodora Georgieva – Bulgaria's representative in the European Public Prosecutor's Office – further exacerbates the situation. She claims that she was involved in meetings with Petyo Petrov through Rusinova, as well as that there are connections between her, Borislav Sarafov and political factors. According to Georgieva, the released recording was used as a tool for pressure.
All this outlines a model of the so-called “family“ – informal circles in the prosecutor's office that maintain stable dependencies between magistrates, business and politics. In such an environment, formal institutions function, but real decisions are made outside of them – through influence, compromising material and economic interests.
The topic of “envelopes with money“, although difficult to prove, is also part of this context. Even in the investigation “Eight Dwarfs“ there are allegations of pressure, extortion and redistribution of assets through the prosecutor's office. This suggests that the risk of corruption is not isolated, but systemic.
The key question remains: how are these networks preserved over time? The answer probably lies in a combination of institutional inertia, lack of effective control and internal solidarity. Despite the many scandals, there are rarely any real consequences for key figures, and investigations often end without clear results. This creates a sense of impunity.
The political factor is also significant. When representatives of the judiciary, the executive and the political elite are mentioned in the same contexts, the boundaries between the authorities are blurred. Thus, the judiciary risks becoming not an independent arbiter, but part of a wider network of influence.
In this sense, the case is not just about specific individuals. It is a test of the sustainability of the Bulgarian rule of law. If these allegations do not lead to transparent and independent investigations, the feeling that the institutions have been taken over and that real power is exercised informally will be reinforced.
Ultimately, all accusations are subject to proof. But even their accumulation - especially when they come from different sources, including a current European Prosecutor - already undermines public trust. Namely, trust is the foundation without which no justice system can function effectively.