Bulgarian Food Safety Agency Head Dismissed amid Extortion Allegations

Plamen Mollov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA), has been dismissed at the proposal of Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva.

Mollov was removed from office on Friday by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Borisov appointed Damyan Iliev as Mollov's successor, again at the proposal of Minister Taneva, according to a media statement of the Agriculture Ministry.

Mollov's dismissal comes one day after fast food chain Aladin Foods OOD accused the BFSA of requesting a monthly bribe of EUR 10 000 to leave the company alone.

The founder of the company insisted that a series of inspections at processing plants of the company had resulted in a temporary suspension of production.

The BFSA head denied the allegations, calling them manipulative, and argued that the company had been operating amid appalling hygienic conditions and had failed to implement the recommendations issued by BFSA inspectors.