site.btaActing Prosecutor General Orders Stricter Control in High Profile Cases, Corruption Investigations

Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov issued an order for stricter control of work on high profile cases, investigations into corruption, road accident deaths and domestic violence, said the State prosecution service.

The aim is to ensure the urgency, rhythm and high quality of the pre-trial proceedings in accordance with European standards. Among the investigations the order covers are also organized crime, human trafficking, etc.

When issuing the order, the findings and recommendations in the reports on the implementation of the law and on the activities of the prosecutor's office and investigative bodies in 2023, as well as in reports from mutual evaluations and peer reviews of Council of Europe bodies, were taken into account. The order is also consistent with the results of the inspections and audits carried out so far.

In addition to urgency and rhythm in conducting the investigation and priority completion of the cases, the organization of work, which was introduced by the order of the Acting Prosecutor general, aims to establish divergent/incorrect prosecutorial practice and ensure its correction.

Special attention will also be paid to criminal proceedings, subject of cases before the European Court of Human Rights.

At the end of July, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPO) presented data for the first six months of the year, showing that ACPO and the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office led investigations into a total of 10,108 newly established pre-trial proceedings for the first 6 months of 2024, and the two prosecutor's offices led a total of 38,648 pre-trial proceedings. Some 1,178 indictments were submitted to the court for the reporting period.