site.btaState Fisheries Agency Chief Detained Over Document Fraud

State Fisheries Agency Chief Detained Over Document Fraud

Sofia, October 25 (BTA) - The Bulgarian prosecution authorities said on Tuesday that the chief of the country's Fisheries and Aquaculture Executive Agency (FAEA) has been detained over a case of suspected document fraud.

FAEA Executive Director Yancho Yanev was detained alongside two other suspects in a special operation launched on Monday in Bourgas, Sofia and Yambol, the prosecution authorities said.

The case involves the use of documents with fraudulent data to obtain EU funding which, the investigators claim, took place with Yanev's knowledge.

Speaking at a news conference later in the day, Prosecutor General Spokesperson Roumyana Arnaudova said that Yanev was detained for misappropriating close to 60,000 leva under EU funds. The violations were committed via a commercial enterprise, represented by Bonka Todorova, which had applied for an EU project with false documents.

The other two detainees are Zlatin Georgiev, a FAEA inspector, and Peter Genov, who was arrested as an accomplice. According to the prosecuting magistracy, Georgiev is the main perpetrator. Prior to becoming an inspector at the Agency, he represented the company that submitted the false documents, while Bonka Todorova is his mother-in-law. According to investigators, the woman had not been aware that she was submitting fraudulent documents. The crime, however, was committed with Yancho Yankov's knowledge.

The three suspects will be charged after witness questioning and forensic document examinations are completed, Arnaudova said.