site.btaInterior Ministry Receives 151 Alerts about Possible Corruption Offences by Its Officials in First Half of 2024

In the first half of 2024, the Interior Ministry received 151 alerts about potential corruption offences by its officials, reads a report on the implementation of the measures under the Counter-corruption Plan of the Interior Ministry in January-June 2024. The Internal Security department is working on 137 of these alerts.

Sixty-four checks have been completed, of which 19 have been found substantiated and 28 unsubstantiated, 11 were sent to other Ministry structures and the prosecution service, and 6 were added to alerts already under investigation. Eight pre-trial proceedings were launched at the initiative of Internal Security.

In comparison, last year Internal Security received 352 alerts containing evidence of possible corruption offences, of which 276 remained for the directorate to handle. A total of 144 investigations were completed. Of these, 35 were substantiated, 94 were unsubstantiated and 15 were added to signals already investigated. Thirty-one pre-trial proceedings were initiated.

In the first half of 2024, 78 alerts were received under the measure for objective and comprehensive investigation of the allegations of misconduct by Ministry of Interior officials. Of these, 25 have been sent to the competent prosecutor's office for a decision, 42 were sent to other structures of the Interior Ministry as the competent institution, 7 are being investigated. In four alerts, the data could not be confirmed and the investigation was closed. 

The report provides data about the number of alerts by regional directorate of the Interior. Out of the regional directorates listed, the highest number of alerts were received about the one in Smolyan (Southern Bulgaria), 27, of which 18 have been found unsubstantiated and 9 are still being checked.

In the first half of 2024, there were 33 alerts against Border Police officers. Pre-trial proceedings were launched against four officers on the initiative of Internal Security. Twenty-nine officers were removed from a corrupt environment. Three officers were referred for disciplinary offences.

Two disciplinary proceedings were initiated against two employees of the Guieshevo border control checkpoint for serious breaches of official discipline and unauthorised connections undermining the prestige of the service. They were dismissed.

Video footage is reviewed through the border checkpoints' CCTV system to prevent and counteract corrupt practices by officers there. One case of corrupt behaviour was identified. The officer was dismissed.

In tests conducted to verify the performance of employees in the Ministry of Interior system, 42 got a positive assessment and 22 negative. Two employees were reported to have been sanctioned as a result.

During the examination of candidates for appointment to the Ministry of the Interior civil service and candidates for training at the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior for the 2024-2025 academic year, 217 candidates for appointment to the Interior Ministry were diverted following the use of psychological methods, or 11.7% of all candidates who appeared for competitions. The diverted candidates for the Academy numbered 108, which is 21.9% of all those who applied.