Sofia Deputy Mayor, Bulgarian MP Resign Over Public Tender Scandal

Lyubomir Hristov, the deputy mayor of the Bulgarian capital responsible for transport, has submitted his resignation to Sofia mayor Yordanka Fandakova.

Irina Kotseva, MP from the ruling GERB party, is also to submit her resignation, the chairperson of the party's parliamentary group Tsvetan Tsvetanov is quoted as saying by daily Sega.

Hristov and Kotseva are suspected of being involved in a public tender scandal concerning the equipment of sixty bus stops in Sofia.

The scandal erupted after an investigation of private NOVA TV revealed that a firm of Kotseva's husband won a suspicious public tender for the equipment of sixty bus stops in Sofia.

Sofia municipality allocated BGN 236 730 tender, which was awarded by Sofia Urban Mobility Centre.

According to the evaluation of independent specialists, the actual cost of equipping the bus stops should be twice lower.

After photos showed the deputy mayor's official car parked outside the MP's house in the town of Samokov, Hristov admitted that he is in close ties with the family and has visited them on numerous occasions.

However he dismissed the claims that he could have exerted influence in the selection of the contractor, saying that Sofia Urban Mobility Centre has its own legal personality, procedures, budget and management. 

The head of Sofia Urban Mobility Centre promised to check the tender.

Kotseva said that she was not aware of the tenders won by the firms of her husband.

On the order of Fandakova, all public tenders awarded by Sofia mobility centre are being checked since the beginning of April.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov demanded the resignation of both Hristov and Kotseva earlier on Friday.