site.btaCounter-Corruption Commission Chief Georgiev Resigns

113 POLITICS-COUNTER CORRUPTION COMMISSION CHIEF-RESIGNATION ampl

Counter-Corruption Commission
Chief Georgiev
Resigns


July 31 (BTA) - The Chair of the Counter-Corruption and Unlawfully Acquired Assets Forfeiture Commission (CCUAAFC), Plamen Georgiev, has tendered his resignation.

The discussion of Georgiev's resignation was included in Parliament's agenda on Wednesday on the proposal of National Assembly Chairperson Tsveta Karayancheva.

At the Socialists' request, Parliament voted to invite Georgiev to a hearing with 106 votes in favour, 32 against and 13 abstentions. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) demanded that Georgiev comes to the plenary chamber to explain his motives for vacating the office early.

"What is the urgency to determine the fate of the CCUAAFC Chair without having an idea what this man has accomplished, without a debate? I do not believe that the MPs can make an informed decision," Socialist MP Kroum Zarkov argued. According to BSP MP Filip Popov, Georgiev was elected by Parliament, submits his resignations to Parliament and therefore he should come and provide an explanation.

GERB Floor Leader Daniela Daritkova criticized Karayancheva for allowing to put to the vote Georgiev's "invitation", who has tendered his resignation of his own free will.

Karayancheva extended a personal invitation to Georgiev to appear in Parliament, explaining that according to the law, the relations with a member of the Counter-Corruption Commission are terminated with a resignation. She explained that it is up to Georgiev's personal free will whether he will appear before the MPs.

After a ten-minute break, the majority of MPs voted in favour of the early termination of Georgiev's term as head of the CCUAAFC Chair. The votes were 120 in favour, three against and three abstentions. Before the break, Karayancheva presented a letter from the Counter-Corruption Commission's deputy Chair, Anton Slavchev, which proposes that Parliament terminates Georgiev's powers early at his own request.

Georgiev's resignation was voted without a debate in Parliament, which caused the Socialists' to attack Karayancheva, whose colleague from GERB, Menda Stoyanova, also commented on the way Parliament's sitting was held and insisted that Parliament's Chairperson is obliged to ensure a debate. Karayancheva said in response that on a few occasions she had invited MPs to participate in discussions, but no one raised their hand, prompting her to end the debate.

Georgiev's comes a few months after the so called "Terrace Gate" scandal erupted, which concerns his Sofia apartment's huge terrace and barbecue area, as well as discrepancies surrounding its legality and diligent declaration.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the now ex-chief of the Counter-Corruption Commission described all of this as a targeted attack coming from affected oligarchs.

Asked whether his statements are backed by evidence, Georgiev said that if he has such, he will present it. "But it is obvious that this news, which is no news at all and should not be the subject of such attention, was circulated by the media for weeks on end and I was attacked completely unjustly," he commented.

In his defence, Georgiev said that he has done everything legally, he has not purchased real estate at below-market prices or from connected persons, nor has he altered tax assessments. He explained that he waited to tender his resignation until the National Revenue Agency's probe is over, which in his words, has established that he is "one clean man".

The former head of CCUAAFC noted some of its achievements. In just one year, over 30 cases were submitted to the prosecuting magistracy concerning corrupt bodies of the local authorities and magistrates, while the number of established conflict of interest cases has increased, Georgiev noted. LI,IG/MY
/TH/

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By 07:20 on 03.08.2024 Today`s news

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