To carry out a full, objective and comprehensive check of the alleged facts and circumstances of pressure exerted on the chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhivko Kotsev, to resign. This was insisted by the resigned Minister of Justice Atanas Slavov in a request to the Supreme Prosecutor's Council (SPC), the Inspectorate of the Supreme Judicial Council (SCC) and the presiding General Assembly of the SCC and SPC Judge Galina Zakharova. This was announced by the relevant department, quoted by Nova TV.
The request is based on a letter received by the Ministry of Justice from Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, which “contains information and indicates the circumstances of a breach of official duties by administrative managers in the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria”.
Slavov quotes Kotsev's statement in a report to Prime Minister Denkov that on April 3 he was psychologically pressured to resign from his position as Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to Kotsev, the pressure was exerted by i.f. chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov, with the participation of the administrative head of the SGP prosecutor Iliana Kirilova, in the presence of her deputy Hristo Krastev and the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission Anton Slavchev.
The Minister of Justice states that in order to establish all the facts and circumstances, as well as whether the specified administrative heads in the prosecutor's office have committed a serious disciplinary violation, it is necessary to answer five questions:
1. Did the alleged meeting take place on April 3 of this year? with the listed participants in it?
2. If it took place, what was the purpose and why are the representatives of all these institutions jointly holding meetings with the chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? In fulfillment of which of their legal powers and on the basis of which legal basis was the meeting held?
3. On what legal basis and in what capacity, i.f. Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov was personally present at this meeting and what orders were given, given that according to the latest amendments to the Constitution, the Chief Prosecutor is only the direct administrative head of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office (Article 126, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Procedure Code), there are only representative functions in relation to the entire prosecutor's office and has no right to intervene or order directly in relation to pending pre-trial proceedings in the subordinate prosecutor's offices.
4. Who organized and coordinated the participation of all those cited in the meeting, were third parties involved, including active politicians?
5. Was pressure and/or coercion exerted on Kotsev, and if so, for what purpose?
If the stated facts are confirmed, proceed with proceedings to realize disciplinary responsibility for a serious breach of official duties, as well as for actions that harm the prestige of the judiciary, the Minister of Justice insists.
„I believe that the holding of such a meeting of prosecutors holding senior positions in the PRB with the chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the chairman of the KPK, to exert pressure for the resignation and release of the position held, as a condition not to be brought to criminal responsibility, is inadmissible and outside the established legal and institutional order for the interaction of the authorities and the exercise of their functions”, says the minister's request.
Slavov also insists on convening a General Assembly of the SJC and VPS “to discuss the created crisis situation and possible common institutional solutions to overcome it”.