site.btaChief Prosecutor Asks Parliament to Strip of Immunity MPs Kiril Petkov and Bozhidar Bozhanov

Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov has asked Parliament to strip of immunity two ranking MPs of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria: Kiril Petkov and Bozhidar Bozhanov. Stripping them of immunity will allow their prosecution for malfeasance in office and coercion.

Sarafov acted on the request of the Sofia City Prosecution Office, the Prosecution Service said on its website.

In Bozhanov’s case, the prosecution service says that in his capacity as Electronic Governance Minister at the time (2021-22) violated his official obligations under the Classified Information Protection Act and the established rules for award of public procurements. Thus he allegedly sought to secure gains for a consortium bidding for a BGN 18 million public procurement contract.

Kiril Petkov is accused of pressuring then Electronic Governance Minister Alexander Yolov (2023) into consulting Bozhidar Bozhanov about all dismissals of staffers hired by Bozhanov, all strategic matters and public procurements.

The prosecutors took up the cases on October 29, 2023, after a tipoff by MPs to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Petkov is also investigated for his role in a March 2022 arrest of GERB leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. Тhe acting Prosecutor General moved for stripping him of immunity on December 9, 2024 and he posted on social media the next day that he would give it up.