Bulgarian Minister Demands Resignation of Agriculture Fund Head

Interim Agriculture Minister Hristo Bozukov has urged the chair of State Fund Agriculture, Rumen Porozhanov, to step down, his ministry says.

It quotes Bozukov as saying "public mistrust of the State Fund Agriculture", alongside "doubts about the legitimacy of the choice of a CEO" and a "court ruling to reinstate the previous leadership".

Another reason cited by Bozukov is tied to "irregularities" in some projects that have qualified for EU funding.

In a statement after noontime, Bozukov has said he will be expecting Porozhanov's resignation "within an hour".

Porozhanov was himself a caretaker minister, taking the finance portfolio in the cabinet led by Georgi Bliznashki between August and November 2014.

Weeks after leaving the office, on November 27 of that year, he was appointed as CEO of State Fund Agriculture by its managing board. That brought him back to his previous position as he had headed the fund in 2011-2013.

The fund, which allocates EU funding to farmers and livestock breeders, has often been targeted by media reports suggesting irregularities.