site.btaDefamation Trial against Former Interior Minister Postponed Again

118 JUSTICE - FORMER INTERIOR MINISTER - TRIAL

Defamation Trial against
Former Interior Minister
Postponed Again


Sofia, October 8 (BTA) - The Sofia District Court on Wednesday
made a third unsuccessful attempt to start a defamation trial
against former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov. The trial
was postponed once more after the defendant and his new lawyer
Elena Bozhourska could not be found in order to be subpoenaed in
due manner.

The court said Bozhourska is apparently prevaricating and
decided to ask the Supreme Bar Council to impose a disciplinary
penalty on the lawyer.

This is one of the trials in which Tsvetanov is charged with
defamation because of statements he has made against judge
Miroslava Todorova. The statute of limitations is rather short
with this kind of lawsuits and in this particular case it will
run out in the spring of 2016. The next court sitting in the
case is scheduled for October 20, but by that time Tsvetanov
will probably have acquired immunity as an MP. According to law
experts, this will cause the trial to be suspended and it can
only be resumed if the new Parliament is dissolved. LI/VE