The Prosecutors Chamber of Bulgaria’s Supreme Judicial Council has given caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov one week to amend his proposal concerning disciplinary proceedings against Deputy Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. The chamber stipulated that Yankulov must clarify Sarafov’s precise role and provide additional evidence related to one specific point within the submission. Failure to comply with these instructions will result in the chamber dismissing the proposal without further consideration.
In response to the ruling, the Justice Minister stated publicly that he does not acknowledge any irregularities. He indicated he would evaluate whether any remedial actions are necessary. Yankulov pointed out that the timeframe for initiating disciplinary action on the first two points of the proposal was expiring, and he noted that Sarafov was acting prosecutor general when the submission was made, a status different from his current standing.
Regarding the third point, which the chamber deemed non-conforming, the Minister clarified that his reference was not to an alert issued by prosecutor Teodora Georgieva, but rather to a press release and accompanying documents concerning the suspended Bulgarian European Prosecutor. The original proposal, submitted by Yankulov at the end of March, sought to launch proceedings based on actions and inactions by Sarafov while he served as a de facto acting Prosecutor General. According to the Minister, these actions constituted serious disciplinary breaches warranting Sarafov’s dismissal.
Yankulov had cited five specific circumstances to support his recommendation. Following these events, Sarafov resigned as acting prosecutor general on April 22, resuming his prior role as Deputy Prosecutor General and head of the National Investigation Service.
Topics: #proposal #chamber #justice
