“Vazrazhdane” will refer a statement by Kaufland Bulgaria Executive Director Mihail Petrov to the Prosecutor’s Office. This was announced by the party’s leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, in a declaration from the parliamentary rostrum.
“We are officially asking the Prosecutor’s Office to act, if it does not initiate proceedings on its own over Mihail Petrov’s criminal statements,” Kostadinov said.
According to him, the reason is the statement made by the head of the retail chain regarding the case involving Kaufland Bulgaria. Kostadinov described his words as an “unprecedented encroachment by a foreign company on Bulgaria’s financial sovereignty.”
The leader of “Vazrazhdane” insisted that the Prosecutor’s Office assess whether the statement contains evidence of a crime. He did not say that the party had already filed a specific complaint, but stated that this would be done if the state prosecution failed to take action on its own initiative.
The dispute between the CPC and Kaufland is at the heart of the matter
Mihail Petrov’s statement was made against the backdrop of a decision by the Commission for the Protection of Competition, which imposed fines of more than EUR 75 million on Kaufland Bulgaria for established unfair trading practices against Bulgarian producers and suppliers. The company rejected the allegations of wrongdoing and announced that it would appeal the decision.
The CPC said that its decisions are based on the law and the evidence collected. The commission noted that categorical suggestions about the outcome of potential court proceedings could be perceived as an attempt to exert public pressure on the court.
Kostadinov also called for a boycott of the retail chain, urging citizens to choose Bulgarian companies and entrepreneurs. “Vazrazhdane” did not specify a deadline for filing a potential complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office.
Sources: bntnews.bg, btvnovinite.bg, dnes.dir.bg