BULGARIAN PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE INVESTIGATES SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY

Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office initiated pre-trial proceedings against senior officials from Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for alleged malfeasance in office and mismanagement, the press office of the Prosecutor’s Office said on 20th of January.

The investigation is into a contract which did not meet the requirements of the Public Procurement Law and concerns the provision of air transport, hotel accommodations and medical insurances for business trips of the foreign ministry’s officials.

Instead of conducting a tendering procedure under the law on procurement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed two agreements (dated 15th of January 2016 and 22nd of April 2016) with the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods and by virtue of these agreements used the services of a company through the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods. The Ministry of Agriculture and Foods has a contract with this company on the basis of a conducted tendering procedure for provision of air transport, hotel accommodations and medical insurances in business trips of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods.

The aim was to benefit the company which did not have a procurement contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but had a procurement contract with the Ministry of Agriculture.

By virtue of the two agreements, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was obligated to pay the company the total of 700,000 BGN for airline tickets, hotel vouchers and insurances. Then payment was due for a period of 6 months.

The prosecutions says this resulted in significant negative consequences for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, the investigation identified that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not use the large discounts offered by the company to the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the air tickets and hotel vouchers although they had the opportunity to do so. This caused damages to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the amount of 148,000 BGN.

All documents of the two ministries will be required in the course of the investigation. The officials suspected for being involved in the case will be interviewed.

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