SCC Chief Panov Refuses to Use NBS Cars over Security Reasons

The Chief of Bulgarian Supreme Court of Cassation, Lozan Panov, refuses to travel in the car provided by the National Bodyguard Service (NBS), because he is not convinced in its security, Panov told journalists on 20^th of June.

The reason for the tops judge’s decision was made after the Prosecutor’s Office declined to initiate pre-trial proceedings over an incident in which the car he was travelling in was found to have two tyre bolts missing and other two were loose. The prosecutors said they did not find evidence for deliberate loosening of the tyre bolts. The problem with the loоse tyre bolts was found by Lozan Panov and his NBS driver during a trip outside Sofia at the beginning of June when they heard an odd noise as the car was moving.

According to Panov, the conclusion of the Prosecutor’s Office was “strange” that the National Bodyguard Service could offer the use of a luxiry car the bolts of which could come loose during intensive movement and had decided not to use the service’s cars.

According to the prosecutor's report, another possible reason for the missing and loose tire bolts is that it was done intentionally by the NBS driver. However, there is not enough evidence for this, and Lozan Panov himself excludes this option.

Лозан Панов, председател на ВКС: Това означава, че няма сигурност при осигуряване на Panov also commented on the choice of judges for new members of the Supreme Judicial Coulcil, which, he said, showed to the public that magistrates were not indifferent to the judicial system. According to him, the judges have trusted their conscience and have asked for a SJC in which arguments and correctness will prevail.

Panov reiterated his call for a reduced parliamentary quota on the SJC and that this should be the aim of the judicial reform.

Judges, prosecutors and investigating magistrates have already elected their representatives to the SJC in direct elections and now Parliament is set to choose its 11 representatives.

source: BTA