site.btaYes, Bulgaria Alerts Counter-Corruption Commission about Reinstatement of Bulgartransgaz Head

The Yes, Bulgaria party has alerted the Counter-Corruption Commission about the reinstatement of Vladimir Malinov as Executive Director of Bulgartransgaz, the natural gas transmission company, a day after his term as caretaker energy minister ended, the party said on Monday.

The alert is about a violation of the Counter-Corruption Act, which stipulates that within one year after vacating office, a senior public office holder cannot sign contracts to perform management or supervisory functions with companies with respect to which he has taken any steps for disposition, regulation or control during the last year of performance of official duties.

After Malinov’s term as energy minister ended on January 16, the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Bulgartransgaz and the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission  decided to reinstate him as a member of the Management Board and as Executive Director.

The alert was signed by three MPs of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria - Ivaylo Mirchev, Nadezhda Yordanova and Bozhidar Bozhanov, who claim that Malinov, in his capacity as energy minister, exercised the rights of the State as the sole shareholder of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) EAD between April 2024 and January 2025. As the representative of the sole shareholder, Malinov had full authority over BEH under the Commerce Act. Bulgartransgaz is 100% owned by BEH, so the two companies are connected and the Counter-Corruption Act applies. Therefore Malinov cannot be appointed as a member of the Management Board of Bulgartransgaz EAD or any BEH subsidiaries, the MPs said.