Prosecutor's Office seeks remand for Head of the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad

The Prosecutor's Office demanded remands for the Head of the Agency for Bulgarian Abroad, Petar Haralampiev and the chief Secrtary, Krassimir Tomov. According to the public prosecution, the scheme with bribes in return of which certificates of Bulgarina origin were issued had operated since July last year, when Haralampyev became the Head of the agency.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev described the investigation and corruption in the Agency as "Having no analogue in our modern history".

The size of the bribes asked to be paid by the applicants for citizenship were between 5 and 8,000 euros. Smaller amount was taken from those who have Bulgarian origin, and their documents needed to be moved forward faster, but larger amounts were asked from those who do not have Bulgarian origin and had to prove it.

The money was collected from intermediaries who handed them directly to Haralampiev or Tomov.

Angel Kanev, Supervising Prosecutor: The Head is charged with taking a bribe of EUR 5,000 on a specific date. There are five secondary allegations for trading in influence for receiving 350 euro per person for smaller services. There is evidence of weekly meetings and handing over of sums of money. We still have to identify people, to make interviews, find the files, and examine the documents. It is a particular routine that has intermediaries. They had a specific date and time to visit him in his office and I would like to emphasize that the evidence in the case shows that bribes and unregulated money were given in the offices inside the Agency.

More than 20 people have been arrested, including the Head of the Agency, Petar Haralampiev and the Chief Secretary, Krasimir Tomov, in a specialized operation on 29^th of October. The Specialised Prosecutor's Office and the Anti-Corruption Commission are investigating an organised criminal group suspected of corruption and document crimes.

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