Corruption in Bulgaria

Bulgaria has climbed 20 spots in the annual Media Freedom Index of the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders. According to the organization, this freedom remains fragile and unstable in our country, which is "one of the poorest and most corrupt in the European Union".

Bulgaria is once again at the bottom of the European Union in the 2022 Corruption Index of the international anti-corruption organization Transparency International.

Our country is placed in 72nd place with an index of 43 points. In the last place among the countries of the European Union is Hungary with an index of 42 points.

Inefficient justice, loopholes in the rules for people at the top of power and dependent media are distinctive features of the situation with the fight against corruption at the top of power in Bulgaria. Such conclusions were reached by the Group of States fighting corruption "GRECO" of the Council of Europe.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Bulgarian individuals for their extensive roles in corruption in Bulgaria, as well as their networks encompassing 64 entities, the US Embassy in Bulgaria announced on June 2.

Elena Ficherova, head of the cabinet of Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov, has applied for dismissal, the ministry said.

"The act is motivated by the desire not to cause negatives for the political cabinet. Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov has granted the request. The order comes into force today," the statement said.

There's been a "dramatic deterioration" of press freedom since the pandemic tore across the world, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual report published Tuesday.

in this year's ranking Bulgaria is 112th from a total of 180 countries included in the index, the Paris-based NGO announced on its website.

In a statement published by the US Embassy in Bulgaria on February 5, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly announced that Bulgarian Specialized Criminal Court judge Andon Mitalov was barred from entry to the US because of involvement in significant corruption, BNT reported.

Statement by US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo:

140 senior officials, including deputies, ministers, deputy ministers, mayors, agency heads, agents of DANS (State Agency for National Security), police officers, tax and customs officers, are being investigated for corruption in Bulgaria.

The cases against 101 of them are at pre-trial stage, and there is an indictment filed in court against 39 of them.