site.btaBulgarian Judges Association Insists to Participate in Ad Hoc Commission Investigating Trade in Influence in Judiciary

The Bulgarian Judges Association insists to have its representatives included in an ad hoc commission to investigate a ring for trade in influence in the judiciary, which transpired after the killing of Martin "The Notary" Bozhanov. The decision for setting up the ad hoc commission was made by the Judges Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council on February 13.

The Judges Association put out a position asking to be included in the commission, arguing that "the judges are the true bodies of the judiciary whose calling it is to safeguard its independence, and this independence is now in jeopardy together with the whole constitutional model of the State". 

Martin "The Notary" Bozhanov was shot dead in a gated complex in a Sofia suburb on the evening of January 31. According to media reports, he was a large-scale fixer of people's problems with the judiciary. He has been implicated in building a network of connections with prosecutors and judges whom he allegedly bribed, threatened, blackmailed or otherwise pressured to treat his "clients" favourably. Pretrial proceedings have been initiated. An ad hoc committee of inquiry has been set up in Parliament to look into the facts and circumstances surrounding the activity of the group around Bozhanov.