40 detained for involvement in fraudulent scheme of Work Capability Assessments

Forty people, including doctors, were arrested in Bulgaria’s coastal city of Varna for involvement in a scheme for issuing work capability assesments with false content. Eight of the arrested remain in custody for 72 hours and will be charged. They are believed to have worked as an organised crime group.

According to information from BNT sources, the detained medics are from the 3 expert medical commissions in the city, as well as from the municipalities ofv Suvorovo, Valchi Dol, General Toshevo and Veliko Turnovo.

The detained are suspected of taking bribes for issuing work capability assesments with false content, thus damaging the state. The decisions of the Work Capability Assessment Commissions included illnesses for over 50% incapacity to work. A doctor-neurologist from Dobrich, who has been involved in a drug-psychotropic medication scheme, was reported to be the organiser of the scheme.

Earlier in the year, on 31st of January, the head of the Work Capability Assessment Commission in Lovech (central North Bulgaria) Donka Minkova, was arrested at a time she was receiving a bribe from an intermediary to help for issuing documents with false content.