site.btaThree Bodies Support Borislav Sarafov for Prosecutor General

Three bodies stated on Tuesday they accept that acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov meets all requirements and possesses the qualities necessary to hold the Prosecutor General’s office permanently.

The Commission on Attestation and Competitions (CAC) with the Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) acknowledged that Sarafov has not faced any disciplinary punishments over the last five years. He has not been investigated, and the checks instituted on alerts against him did not find any wrongdoing, according to information presented at a CAC meeting.

Sarafov thanked the CAC for the high assessment of his performance. “I have made huge efforts, and I am glad they have not gone unnoticed,” he said.

Sarafov went on to comment: “Serving as acting Prosecutor General in muddled political times has not been an easy job. I will spare no effort and will give all of myself to fulfill the mission and the duty to lead the prosecution service to work for the benefit of society.”

During a separate meeting of the Ethics Commission (EC) of the SJC Prosecutors Chamber, it transpired that Sarafov has been targeted in 16 alerts in a year through the mechanism for investigating the prosecutor general, and pretrial proceedings have been instituted in two cases, but no evidence of offence has been found. It was noted that in 2023, when Sarafov was deputy prosecutor general, the then prosecutor general Ivan Geshev proposed that Sarafov be punished, but the Prosecutors Chamber refused to open disciplinary proceedings on that proposal.

Sarafov said at the EC meeting: “I have made tremendous efforts to ensure that the prosecution service receives the public confidence it deserves. Sometimes my dedication to my work comes at the expense of my family.” Thanking for the EC’s assessment, he said: “I strive to meet every aspect of all ethical standards.”

The Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office expressed its support for Sarafov’s candidacy in an opinion statement. 

Sarafov’s bid for the Prosecutor General’s post has also been supported in official opinions expressed by the “Angels on the Road” Association, the University of Veliko Tarnovo and the Shalom Organization of Jews in Bulgaria.

Sarafov was nominated for election to the post of Prosecutor General as the only candidate on October 10 at the last of four meetings of the SJC Plenum at which candidates could be named.

He was Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev's deputy until June 16, 2023, when the SJC voted Geshev out of office for undermining the prestige of the judiciary.

On October 23, Sarafov submitted to the SJC his concept for the management of the prosecution service in the next seven years. Among the priorities that Sarafov sets are the fight against organized crime, corruption, traffic accidents and domestic violence. He expresses confidence that the prosecution service will be the initiator of joint actions with the Ministry of Interior, other special services and control institutions, "proactively and as a result of its analytical work", motivating them to work more vigorously and giving procedural direction to their work.