site.btaSpecialized Appellate Court Removes Chouprene Mayor Kostin from Office

123 JUSTICE - CHOUPRENE MAYOR - DISMISSED BY COURT

Specialized Appellate Court Removes
Chouprene Mayor Kostin
from Office


Sofia, May 9 (BTA) - The Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal (SCCA) has removed from office the mayor of the northwestern municipality of Chouprene, Vanyo Kostin, the prosecuting magistracy reported Thursday. This second-instance court decision overrules a first-instance court's decision to leave Kostin in office.

SCCA's motives are that Kostin is charged in his capacity as an official and his serving as a mayor could be an obstacle to establishing the objective truth.

Vanyo Kostin was arrested on April 9 and charged with malfeasance in office connected with the sale of municipal land to companies owned by his relatives, as well as his failure to declare a company he owns. Twenty sales contracts were found in the course of the investigation, most of which were executed without a legal public tender procedure. LI/MY

/МЙ/