site.btaAudit of Public Procurements in Defence Finds Irregularities, Is Referred to Prosecution Magistracy

Audit of Public Procurements in Defence
Finds Irregularities, Is Referred
to Prosecution Magistracy


Sofia, February 14 (BTA) - An audit of public procurements in
the defence sector found a number of irregularities and has been referred to the prosecution magistracy, caretaker Defence Minister Stefan Yanev said here Tuesday. He was speaking at a news briefing after a two-day annual conference of the Bulgarian Chief of Defence.

Yanev said that the audit in the defence sector is still
underway and only the one of the public procurements has been completed and the report was submitted to the Prime Minister on February 13.

The auditors recommended that it be referred to prosecutors.

The Minister said that irregularities were found in over 100
public procurement contracts.

In their remarks at the news briefing Minister Yanev and the acting Defence Chief, Vice Admiral Emil Eftimov, focused on the long-standing problem with the understaffing of the Armed Forces. They said what puts off service persons is the condition of the equipment, armament and pay.

The vacancies in the Armed Forces have reached nearly 5,600.

Yanev and Evtimov said that despite the underfunding and understaffing, the Armed Forces remain combat-worthy and capable of guaranteeing the national sovereignty.

Yanev praised the professionalism of the service persons.

He also said that the understaffing in some military formations has reached a critical limit where their capability of carrying out their duty is at risk. "Even though as a Minister in a caretaker government I cannot think long-term or plan any serious resources, I will do whatever it takes to improve the social status of service persons," said Yanev.

Vice Admiral Evtimov said that the service persons have completed their training successfully. There were over 250 exercises last year. The Armed Forces also performed 153 tasks in emergency relief operations which involved over 1,300 servicepersons and civilian employees of the Armed Forces.

More than 6,000 servicepersoons participated in border protection missions jointly with the Interior Ministry.

Accidents in the Armed Forces last year were fewer than the year before.

Over 4,000 Bulgarian service persons will participate in the large-scale Saber Guardian exercise this year. LY/LN/

//ement contracts. MORE