The Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank Andrey Gyurov with a comment after the statement of the Anti-Corruption Commission that he should be removed because of incompatibility with his position. According to Gyurov, the procedure for his release was initiated ahead of schedule, without any evidence of a violation.
According to him, the BNB Board of Directors can and should defend the independence of the bank and protect the members of the governing bodies from pressure and external influence in decision-making.
„Today, the Board of Governors of the central bank will consider the request for my removal from the post of deputy governor in response to the illegal act of the CPC. In this regard, I want to publicly state the facts that I have already informed the members of the governing body. The procedure for my removal has been initiated ahead of schedule, without currently having any evidence of wrongdoing on my part. The proposal to remove me as deputy governor is based entirely on the CPC act, which has not come into force and which I have appealed. The ACSG has already determined my appeal as admissible and scheduled an open court hearing on it on 16.09.2024. According to the rules of the administrative process, the effect of the decision of the KPK has been suspended and to date it has no legal consequences. In the allocation of the burden of proof, the court noted that the Criminal Procedure Code neither indicates nor presents evidence for the claim that I carried out activities within the meaning of Art. 12, para. 5 ZBNB. But even if the CPC act had come into force, there is no incompatibility whatsoever to date. I resigned from the governing boards of the associations long before I assumed the position of deputy governor, and I have not carried out any activity in the period from my assumption of office until now. Although there is no legal obstacle to owning shares in a limited liability company, I voluntarily decided to sell my shares last year. Even by the arbitrary standards of the CPC regarding the interpretation of Art. 12, para. 5 ZBNB to date, there can be no talk of any incompatibility. There is no reason to claim that I have been found guilty of a serious violation within the meaning of the Statute of the ESCB and the ECB, because there is no such act. Certainly, the act of the CPC cannot serve as a basis for such a decision, since it has not entered into force at all, and its content is not supported by legal or factual considerations, as can also be established from the decision of the ACSG on my appeal .
Given all the facts presented, I expect the Governing Board of the BNB to reject the request for my removal from the post of Deputy Governor. In this situation, both I and the members of the governing body are driven by professional motives and above all by the need to protect the Bank from pressure and interference. I am convinced that my colleagues in the Board clearly understand that legality cannot be defended by illegal acts and that my removal would be complicity in the unlawful actions of the CPC. Moreover, this would put every member of the BNB management at risk of being attacked without evidence and a court decision,” Gyurov wrote in his position.
He is adamant that if he is removed, he will appeal the decision to the Supreme Administrative Court.
„This is important not only for me, but also for the other members of the BNB Board, so that it is clear that no pressure can be allowed on the decision-making bodies. The current case is being carefully monitored by both the European Commission and the European Central Bank, because the establishment of an arbitrary ground for early termination of the mandate of a member of the BNB's management board constitutes a violation of European Union law and a threat to our full membership in the EU through the participation of Bulgaria in the Eurozone”, concluded the Governor of the Bank.