site.btaSpecialized Criminal Court Finds Guilty Former Economy and Energy Ministry on Charges Related to Operation of Coal Mine

Sofia, August 1 (BTA) - The Specialized Criminal Court rendered
a guilty verdict to former economy and energy minister Roumen
Ovcharov who served in the Sergei Stanishev government in
2005-2007, the Specialized Appellate Prosecuting Magistracy
said. Ovcharov was given a suspended sentence of two years in
prison and three years of probation period.

The former minister was charged is mismanagement as in his
capacity of a principal of the Bobov Dol coal mines he failed to
 exercise control over the activity of the mine's executive
director at the time, Plamen Stefanov, as a result of which
rights for mining of coal were transferred to a private mine
without the proper procedure. This caused detriment to the State
 amounting to 16,556,344 leva.

The court also granted a civil action against Ovcharov to the
same amount. The former minister was also deprived of the right
to take up state and public posts for three years.

Stefanov too was found guilty of mismanagement and given a
suspended sentence of two years in prison. His mismanagement
caused detriment amounting to 22,775,574 leva. A civil action to
 the same amount against him was granted as well.

The suspended sentences were motivated with the defendants'
clean criminal records and the fact that the wrongdoing took
place a long time ago.

The decision of the court can be appealed. NV/ZH