Bulgarian Specialized Prosecutor’s Office Launches Probe into Misuse of EU Funds

The specialized prosecutor's office has initiated pre-trial proceedings for illegal receipt of funds from European Union mainly under measures administered by the State Fund "Agriculture".

In the course of the investigation against an organized crime group on February 11, a total of 18 searches and seizures were carried out in various properties on the territory of Sofia and the municipalities of Godech and Kostinbrod, the press center of the prosecutor's office announced.

Investigations were carried out in office premises in the municipality of Godech, as well as in the regional food safety agency (BFSA) - Sofia district. Numerous papers, documents and wads of cash were seized during the searches. Several people are detained for a period of 24 hours, it is said in the laconic report.

Investigation is going on

Earlier, unofficial information came that the mayor of Godech, Radoslav Assenov, had been taken for questioning to the Specialized Prosecutor's Office on Thursday morning.

According to a source of 24 Chasa daily from the town near the Serbian border, the state prosecution and Anti-Corruption Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture are working on a case involving subsidies for a livestock farm, with which the mayor has a connection.This is a story from a few years ago.

The farm was inspected by the BFSA-Sofia district, where prosecutors started a probe yesterday. According to the locals, the director Dr. Leonid Lavchev is on close terms with the mayor Assenov and some time ago he even was a jury in a horse pageant in the municipality.