site.btaIvan Geshev Nominated as Candidate for Prosecutor General

115 JUSTICE - PROSECUTOR GENERAL - NOMINATION

Ivan Geshev Nominated
as Candidate for Prosecutor
General


Sofia, July 22 (BTA) - Deputy Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev was nominated as the first candidate for prosecutor general by all 11 members of the Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), including the incumbent, Sotir Tsatsarov, whose term expires in January 2020.

Geshev, 49, is a law graduate of the Interior Ministry's Academy. He started his career as an operative at the Justice Ministry in 1994, and was an investigator in Sofia between 1995 and 2006. Then he worked at the Sofia Regional Prosecution Office until 2012, when he was promoted to the Sofia City Prosecution Office. Geshev headed the Specialized Prosecution Office in 2016 and was appointed Tsatsarov's deputy in 2018.

Presenting Geshev's nomination at Monday's SJC plenum, Daniela Masheva said the next prosecutor general is expected to be a person of integrity, to have administrative experience, to be a modern thinking visionary with a strategic approach to the problems of the prosecution service, and a leader trusted by the institutions.

Masheva recalled what she described as the "unprecedented" successes of the Specialized Prosecution Office. She said Geshev is trusted in his profession and understands the needs of the prosecution service.

The Chamber of Investigators called for electing a member of the prosecuting magistracy, a person with a clear vision for developing the investigation service, which should work at full capacity.

In early April, Geshev announced he was 99 per cent certain that he would not run for the post for personal reasons, including his reluctance to get involved "in mud-slinging, which is taking place on quite a muddy ground right now".

The selection procedure for a new Prosecutor General opened on July 15 when no one was nominated. More candidates can be named on July 25 and 29. The SJC will meet on October 9 to decide which candidates are eligible, and the new prosecutor general will be elected on October 24. IG/DD