site.btaSvetlana Mitova Elected Acting Administrative Head of Sofia Regional Prosecution Office

Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov Thursday presented Svetlana Mitova, the new acting administrative head of the Sofia Regional Prosecution Office (SRPO). She was presented to the SRPO prosecutors after being elected by the Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). She is replacing Nevena Zartova, who resigned on Wednesday.

Sarafov said: "What is needed is a new beginning. I am convinced that the SRPO has many worthy magistrates and each of them can perform their duties flawlessly. The public will not tolerate the practices that were rife here until now." Mitova has all the necessary professional and moral qualities to cope with the difficult task of restoring trust in the SRPO, Sarafov also said.

For her part, the newly elected acting administrative head said she set a priority on building "an efficient, well-functioning prosecution office trusted by the public". Mitova expects the SRPO prosecutors to be guided by the principles of integrity, honesty and professionalism, and by working together, to get the country's largest prosecution office back on its feet. The SRPO has poor indicators because it is the prosecution office with the lowest number of indictments per person of all regional prosecution offices, she said.

Mitova has over 26 years' experience, starting as junior prosecutor and joining the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office in 2020.

Earlier in the day, the SJC's Prosecutors Chamber released Nevena Zartova from office as administrative head of the SRPO. 

Zartova's resignation was approved by a unanimous vote and without a debate, as was the motion on Mitova's appointment. At Zartova's request, the Chamber reinstated her as prosecutor at the SRPO.

Her four deputies: Borislav Georgiev, Ivan Stefanov, Mima Kutskova-Damyanova and Todor Kuyumdzhiev, were also released after resigning and, too, were reinstated as prosecutors at the SRPO.

The SRPO is the prosecution office with the largest caseload in Bulgaria.