site.btaSCC President Panov: Lack of Control Makes Prosecutor General Strongest Political Figure in Bulgaria

May 14 (BTA) - The lack of control over the Prosecutor
General makes him the strongest political figure in Bulgaria,
Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) President Lozan Panov told
journalists here on Tuesday after his meeting with President
Rumen Radev about the upcoming election of a new prosecutor
general at this year's end.

Panov explained that one of the meeting's highlights was the
Prosecutor General's powers to bring charges against anyone,
over anything and at anytime.

Unlike Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov, who conferred with
the President on Monday and said that it is too early to start
the consultations on his replacement, Panov said that the
discussions come at the right time.

Lozan Panov noted that he has renewed his proposal to adopt
constitutional amendments about the place of the prosecuting
magistracy in the Judiciary and the prosecutor general's powers.
 

The SCC President said that the prosecuting magistracy "has
clearly shown that it serves the incumbents". Asked about Prime
Minister Boyko Borissov's recent remarks that he is lifting his
confidence from Panov, the latter said that in a democratic
country everyone has the right to trust who they wish.

According to Panov, in an unreformed Supreme Judicial Council,
dominated by the political quota, the election of a new
prosecutor general is "almost pre-determined".

Commenting the Judicial System Act amendments, drafted by
Justice Minister Danail Kirilov, which concern the "three big
ones" in the Judiciary (the prosecutor general and the
presidents of SCC and the Supreme Administrative Court), Panov
said that the amendments must be aimed at permitting the
prosecutor general to be the subject of investigation, but not
the two court presidents. The reason, according to Panov, is
that, unlike the prosecuting magistracy, the supreme courts are
not a pyramid structure and their presidents cannot influence
judges.

This was the second of a series of meetings which the President
plans to hold with members of the judicial and executive
branches of government and public organizations in connection
with the criteria for electing the next Prosecutor General and
the powers of the future holder of the post. RY/MY