site.btaEx-Defence Minister, Judge, Former Finance Ministry Official Conclusively Acquitted in High-Profile Bribery Case

Ex-Defence Minister, Judge, Former Finance Ministry Official Conclusively Acquitted in High-Profile Bribery Case

Sofia, February 3 (BTA) - The Supreme Court of Cassation has
rendered judgment conclusively acquitting former defence
minister Nikolai Tsonev, judge Peter Santirov and the Finance
Ministry's ex-chief secretary Tencho Popov in a high-profile
bribery case.

Tsonev was charged with offering Santirov, through Popov's
mediation, a 20,000 euro bribe in order to "fix" an
investigation against Tsonev in his capacity as defence minister
between 2008 and 2009. Tsonev was probed in connection with a
120 million leva Defence Ministry contract for laying an optic
fibre cable in Bulgaria which, according to NATO experts, was
detrimental and pointless because the cable would not serve any
purpose in military action.

The case reached the Supreme Court of Cassation after all three
defendants were acquitted by the Sofia City Court in October
2012 and, later on, by the Sofia Appellate Court as well.

The arrest of Tsonev, Santirov and Popov in 2010 gained
notoriety because during the ex-defence minister's arrest Sofia
Deputy City Prosecutor Roman Vassilev called Tsonev "an absolute
criminal" and ordered him to kneel to be handcuffed. This was
seen as needless brutality and violation of the presumption of
innocence.