Delyan Peevski Seeks to Turn Public Attention Away from the Influence Networks in the Justice System

Today, the National Assembly is discussing a proposal by MP Delyan Peevski to create an Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate George Soros’ Activities in Bulgaria.

The committee’s name sounds strangely familiar. It seems to refer to another ad hoc committee created precisely a year ago: the Ad Hoc Committee of Inquiry into the Facts and Circumstances Surrounding the Activity of Martin Bozhanov “The Notary” and Former Investigator Petyo Petrov “The Euro”.

The brevity of Mr. Peevski’s reasoning further evokes a feeling of déjà vu. The committee he is proposing will investigate networks, not those established by Martin Bojanov “The Notary” and Petyo “The Euro” but a “huge network of related individuals” supposedly created by the US philanthropists.

As is his custom, Mr. Peevski’s strategy is to create a fake duplicate, to erode every civic attempt to investigate the state’s captured institutions.

In this case, it appears that Mr. Peevski’s goal is to divert the public’s attention from the investigation into the criminal networks influencing Bulgaria’s criminal justice system. The Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation (ACF) helped raise awareness about the malign influences over the judiciary and the public prosecution with its investigations List for Quick Control and The Eight Dwarfs.

Despite Mr. Peevski’s posturing, there is ample proof of his close ties with Petyo Petrov “The Euro”, the leader of one of the networks exerting criminal influence over magistrates.

Back in 2005, when Mr. Peevski was appointed at the Sofia branch of the National Investigation Service, his direct superior was Mr. Petrov. It is also known that the pair shared an office. According to witnesses, Petyo Petrov was present during a 2007 meeting between Mr. Peevski and the then director of state-owned company Bulgartabak who has claimed he was being pressured and threatened by Mr. Peevski during the meeting.

Furthermore, Petyo Petrov played a decisive role in the handling of at least two cases involving Mr. Peevski: the investigation for official misconduct following his meeting with Bulgartabak’s former director and the investigation into the bankruptcy of Corporate Commercial Bank which conveniently excluded a probe into Mr. Peevski’s involvement.

The date 31^st January marks one year since the murder of Martin Bozhanov “The Notary”. A murder which mobilized the public to demand a thorough investigation into criminal interference in the Bulgarian justice system. As a result of the increased public pressure, two parliamentary committees were created as well as two committees within the Supreme Judicial Panel.

A year later, it is evident that criminal influence networks remain firmly in place.

While Mr. Peevski is pulling the wool over the public’s eyes with proposals for ridiculous committees, inexplicably, individuals holding key posts within the judicial system continue to make decisions that serve his interests.

The events from last year, however, showed that citizens can shed light on the illegitimate influence within the public prosecution and the other captured public institutions. The status quo can be altered.

The ACF expresses its solidarity with the position of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and all the rest of the civic organisations attacked by Delyan Peevski and the media outlets and organisations under his control.

As these organisations have stated, dictatorship is only possible in the absence of active citizens and civic organisations – which seems to be Delyan Peevski’s goal.