site.btaBorislav Sarafov Submits Concept in His Bid for Office of Bulgaria's Top Prosecutor

Borislav Sarafov, the only candidate for the position of Prosecutor General, has submitted to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) his concept for the management of the prosecuting service in the next seven years, the SJC said Wednesday. 

Sarafov states that he sets out his views, "but also ideas that have been shared with him by colleagues from various structures and units of the prosecuting and investigative services". He notes that for him, the management of the prosecution service is a dynamic process that requires constant updating, depending on the legal framework, the development of technology and public relations.

Among the priorities that Sarafov sets are the fight against organized crime, corruption, traffic accidents and domestic violence. He expresses confidence that the Prosecuting Service will be the initiator of joint actions with the Ministry of the Interior, other special services and control institutions, "proactively and as a result of its analytical work", motivating them to work more vigorously and giving procedural direction to their work.

Sarafov highlights the task of the Prosecuting Service to gain the public trust it deserves and adds that he will do everything necessary to prevent the service from being used for political purposes. 

The candidate states that he "accepted the nomination for the post, motivated by his long professional experience - almost 30 years as an investigator and prosecutor at all levels of the system". 

Sarafov says that the trust his colleagues have in him obliges him to take responsibility so that "we do not lose the positive momentum and direction in which we are going - to uphold the rule of law".

On October 10, Borislav Sarafov was nominated for Prosecutor General. The only proposal was made by Stefan Petrov, Plamen Naydenov and Svetlana Boshnakova during the last session of the SJC Plenum, in which nominations for a new Prosecutor General could be made.

Sarafov is currently acting Prosecutor General after the removal of his predecessor, Ivan Geshev, in June 2023. His nomination was made on the last possible day set by the timetable for the procedure. 

According to the timetable, October 24 is the deadline for nominees to submit a concept paper and the SJC has to publish them until November 19. By November 26, two committees of the Prosecutors Chamber are to receive reports on the professional and moral qualities of the nominees, which are to be discussed at a college meeting a day later. 

The vote is scheduled for January 16.