8 People, incl Ex Court Chairs, Deputy Chairs, Charged over Irregularities in EU-Funded Project

The prosecuting authority has pressed charges against 8 people for irregularities in a project implemented under the operational program Administrative Capacity.

The Sofia District Military Appellate Prosecutor's Office pressed charges against the former Chair of the Sofia Military Appellate Court Petko Petkov, the former Chair of the Sofia Appellate Court and the Sofia Military Appellate Court Veselin Pengezov, the former Deputy Chair of the Military Appellate Court Vladimir Dimitrov, the former head of the Finance Ministry Directorate in charge of the operational program Administrative Capacity Maria Divizieva, as well as against Atina Mavridis, Petya Gergova, Lyudmil Simeonov, and Krum Simeonov.

According to a media statement of the prosecuting authority, the charges concern fraudulent declaration by Petkov, in his capacity of Chair of the Sofia Military Appellate Court, before the Managing Authority of the operational program Administrative Capacity at the Finance Ministry in connection with the implementation of an EU-funded project under the same operational program.

The fraudulent declaration concerns the organization of the procedure for the selection of contractors.
Petkov has been charged as a perpetrator and the other ones as helpers.

After coordinating the step with Maria Divizieva, former Directorate head at the Finance Ministry, following the instructions of Pengezov, the two other defendants compiled back-dated documents for procedures under the Public Procurement Act in connection with the selection of contractors under the project, despite the fact that no such procedures had been held.

The offence was committed in the period July 8, 2009 - July 19, 2010.

Petko Petkov and Veselin Pengezov have also been...