Caretaker Justice Minister Krum Zarkov has scheduled a May 25 hearing of Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev and his deputy, Borislav Sarafov, who is also National Investigation Service Director, by the Plenum of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the Justice Ministry said on Monday.
The SJC is to pronounce at the meeting on whether the proposal for Geshev's early dismissal made by members of the SJC Prosecutors Chamber is admissible, the Ministry said.
On May 17, the Sofia City prosecution Office launched a probe into an alert submitted by Sarafov against Geshev. Allegedly, he had exerted influence on the supervising prosecutor of a money-laundering case known as Barcelonagate, involving GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov, and had recorded illegally an SJC member.
On May 15, Geshev and Sarafov made separate statements to the media.
Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev said politics must get out of the judiciary, talked about a May 1 blast allegedly targeting him, an offer to quit in return for an ambassadorial post, and a threatening message demanding his resignation. He also talked about Barcelonagate and about a motion to the SJC for Geshev's replacement. In addition, he commented on actions of political parties and MPs.
For his part, Deputy Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov said a catharsis was needed "to remove the rot so that the prosecution service can start working". He said Geshev had admitted that he had shelved the Barcelonagate case to be able to blackmail politicians, and that the Prosecutor General's statement earlier that day amounted to a bid to enter politics.
On May 12, six members of the 11-member Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) moved for Geshev's replacement, citing a "gross violation of official duties".
/MY/
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