site.btaABV Propose Creation of Specialized Anti-corruption Unit with Investigative Functions

ABV Propose Creation of Specialized  Anti-corruption Unit with Investigative Functions

Sofia, December 22 (BTA) - One of ABV's proposals to be included in the new anti-corruption legislation, drafted by Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva, is to create a specialized anti-corruption unit with investigative functions, said ABV deputy leader Roumen Petkov at a news conference on Tuesday. Petkov added that his party has prepared a package of proposals for the new legislation, which will be presented during a working meeting with Kuneva.

According to ABV, the new anti-corruption unit must be a collective body with its members elected by a parliamentary majority of two-thirds. Petkov noted that it is important for the new unit to have investigative functions, because otherwise it will become an improved edition of the Centre for Prevention and Counteraction of Corruption and Organized Crime with the government, known as BORKOR.

Another proposal by ABV is to create a single agency for public procurements of state institutions and a single agency for municipal public procurements. The State, with its institutions, has not shown sufficient will to fight corruption, Petkov said.

The former head of the National Investigative Service, Boyko Naydenov, said that it would be very difficult for someone at a given ministry to investigate their own minister. According to him, the inspectorates have not contributed much to the fight against corruption. Only two per cent of alerts received by the prosecuting magistracy come from the inspectorates, he explained. "We are rich in regulatory framework, we have enough strategies, plans, institutions, which were created to fight corruption - the Interior Ministry, the State Agency for National Security, the prosecuting magistracy, inspectorates under the ministries," Naydenov noted, adding that an analysis must be conducted on what has been done so far.

Answering a question Petkov did not dismiss the possibility of holding presidential and parliamentary elections together at the same time next year. He noted that his party is ready for new parliamentary elections. Having early elections, however, would not be good for the State, he explained. According to him, having three parliamentary elections in the course of four years, given the current critical situation for Europe and the world, would be a sign of instability for businesses and investors and is not a wise solution.