Prosecutor General in a statement to SJC: I have not committed any breach of my duties

On the first motion for early dismissal of Ivan Geshev as Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on May 23 published the statement, which the Prosecutor General has sent.

In the statement, Ivan Geshev notes that he had not committed any breach of his duties and had not interfered in the investigation of the explosion next to his car because on 1 May, his Deputy Borislav Sarafov was acting as Prosecutor General. Geshev also attached a document which indicates the people who were acting as Prosecutor General during his absence from from 25 April to 17 May.

Prosecutors’ College of the SJC requested the early release of Geshev from the post of Prosecutor General

Geshev's statement says that his duties of Prosecutor General were delegated to another person on the date of the incident, but even if Geshev was on the job on that day, he would not have committed a violation, as being a participant in the explosion gave him the status of an injured party and as such could not have an official capacity to the investigation. He adds that, with regard to this investigation, the functions of Prosecutor General have been assigned to one of his deputies.

Geshev also presented an order assigning this to Plamena Tsvetanova, and in her absence to Krasimira Filipova.

Prosecutor General Geshev has given explanations in the Prosecutor's Office on the signal submitted by Deputy Prosecutor General Sarafov

Today, the six petitioners of this motion issued a statement in which they declare that the Prosecutor General puts pressure on them by making suggestions about their political ties as well as their professional qualities and reputation.

The declaration states that there are many question marks as to why the investigation into the signal against Kalina Chapkanova and Georgi Kuzmanov has been assigned to the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office, of which Ivan Geshev is the administrative head, and they call on the Prosecutor General to go on leave until all the circumstances and facts are clarified. According to them, this will ensure objectivity and absence of risk of pressure.

Second motion to dismiss Ivan Geshev from the post of Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General tabled in Supreme Judicial Council