site.btaPresident Radev Pessimistic about Supreme Judicial Council Adopting "Sensible Decision" on Prosecutor General Geshev

ESD 12:30:31 09-02-2022
LG1227ES.107
107 POLITICS-PRESIDENT-PROSECUTOR GENERAL-REMARKS

President Radev Pessimistic about
Supreme Judicial Council Adopting "Sensible Decision"
on Prosecutor General Geshev


Sofia, February 9 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told reporters on Wednesday that he was satisfied with Tuesday's Constitutional Court decision, according to which the Justice Minister is competent to propose to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) the early dismissal of the Prosecutor General and the presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and of the Supreme Administrative Court, if they are found to have committed serious violations, systematically fail to fulfill their official duties, or their actions damage the reputation of judiciary.

Consequent to the Constitutional Court decision, the SJC will be bound to consider such a proposal for dismissal on the merits.

Radev said that he was pessimistic that the current SJC would adopt a "sensible decision" about Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev when Justice Minister Nadezhda Yordanova submits a proposal for his dismissal, which she said on Tuesday she will do "as soon as possible".

On July 22, 2021, the SJC Plenum voted, 12-8, to leave aside a proposal by the then caretaker justice minister, Yanaki Stoilov, to initiate a procedure for Geshev's removal from office.

"I don't think the prosecutor general should be pronounced a criminal in order to assess whether he meets or does not meet certain rigorous standards. Any holder of such position of responsibility can hardly be said to perpetrate a couple of crimes every months," Stoilov, who is now a Constitutional Court judge, said in a bTV interview on Wednesday morning.

He doubts it that, when approached with a proposal for Geshev's early dismissal by the Justice Minister, the SJC will adopt it by the required two-thirds majority or 17 votes, given that Geshev was elected Prosecutor General in October 2019 by the same complement of the Council by a majority of 20 to 4.

The term of office of the present SJC complement expires in October 2022. ZH/YV/LG//