site.btaFormer Director of Agriculture State Fund in Veliko Tarnovo Reports Misuse of EU Funds to European Public Prosecutor's Office

Two cases related to the misuse of European funds in Veliko Tarnovo have been reported to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), Todor Todorov, former director of the Regional Directorate of the Agriculture State Fund in Veliko Tarnovo, told journalists on Tuesday.

In the first case, unscrupulous farmers submit invoices that are supposed to prove they produce milk, but these documents do not actually demonstrate that they are the producers, yet they still receive coupled support from EU funds, Todorov said. The second scheme involves the registration of ear tags for animals, not based on their actual number but through an unauthorized increase in farm capacity.  As a result, on one hand there is inhumane treatment of the animals, and on the other, "virtual herds" are created, Todorov stressed. He sent the two cases to EPPO in Luxembourg on October 10 and was questioned by the European Delegated Prosecutor in Sofia on October 21.

Even though the Commission for Personal Data Protection has issued Todorov a document stating that he is a protected person, he was dismissed from his position as head of the Regional Directorate of the Agriculture State Fund again in early November after he was reinstated by the Supreme Administrative Court. This marked his fourth dismissal from the position since 2022. Each time he has received compensation to which he is entitled by law, and the money comes from the State budget, not from the personal funds of the managers who dismissed him.

Regarding his dismissal on November 5, Todorov said the reasons stated in the order do not reflect the truth and are contrary to the law, so he will file three lawsuits. This will bring to seven the cases he is filing to defend his interests and to demonstrate that there are abuses within the institution.