site.btaInterior Minister: Specialized Prosecution Office Has Instituted Pre-trial Proceedings against Deputy PM Vassilev

The Specialized Prosecution Office instituted pre-trial proceedings for abuse of office against Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev on March 15, Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov told the media on Wednesday. 

Rashkov showed copies of documents and said that a few days ago businessman Georgi Samuilov, owner of Insa Oil, sent an alert to Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev, who promptly ordered Prosecutor Palicheva to send it to the Specialized Prosecution Office (SPO) so that pre-trial proceedings would be initiated. Rashkov claimed that Palicheva did not give the SPO prosecutor a chance to decide if there were sufficient grounds for pre-trial proceedings, and they were initiated on March 15, as soon as the alert was sent.

Specialized Prosecution Office Spokesman Hristo Krastev told BTA he could not confirm reports on pre-trial proceedings instituted on Insa Oil's alert. He said, however, that following legislative amendments, the prosecution office cannot institute pre-trial proceedings against a person and can do so only for a suspected crime.