site.btaHealth Minister Charged with Intimidation

Health Minister Charged with Intimidation

Sofia, April 3 (BTA) - Caretaker Health Minister Ilko Semerdjiev has been charged with threatening dismissal to the director of the Bulgarian Drug Agency with the Health Ministry unless she appointed a person named by the Minister as deputy director, the prosecution service said.

On March 24, Semerdjiev, speaking in a loud voice, threatened to dismiss Asena Stoimenova, saying: "I can dismiss you and I can do other things to you." Semerdjiev gave her a couple of days to appoint the person he named, and said he did not care that the director had reservations about that person's conflict of interest.

On February 20, after Semerdjiev told the Drug Agency's director that he wanted a certain person appointed as deputy director, Stoimenova ran a check and found that the person in question was the owner of companies engaged in health care. She informed that person that his appointment would constitute a conflict of interest.

Semerdjiev remains free on his own recognizance.