ACF Alerts The Public Prosecutor’s Office Regarding Pressure Exerted on Sofia Kindergarten Directors
For several weeks, national media have broadcast a series of reports and interviews showing that Mariana Ivanova, the ex-director of 164 Zornitsa Kindergarten, located in the Gorna Banya neighbourhood in Sofia, has been under pressure from local authorities.
Specifically, the coverage revealed that officials of the municipal and district administrations pressured Mrs. Ivanova, verbally and in writing, to admit an excessive number of children in the kindergarten. The disclosed facts point to serious allegations for malfeasance in office and abuse of power.
The Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation (ACF) referred the case to the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office, expressing concerns that similar practices occur in other institutions on the territory of Sofia Municipality. ACF urged the Prosecutor’s Office to conduct a thorough inspection of the medical documentation of children, submitted upon their admittance in the kindergarten. ACF’s report contains allegations for corrupt practices, including malfeasance in office and abuse of power, potentially involving department directors and experts at the Sofia Municipality, as well as district mayors and officials.
The Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office transferred the case to the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, which examined Mrs. Ivanova’s claims for pressure from Sofia Municipality officials. Mrs. Ivanova supported her claims with printed records of messages sent to her phone number from the officials in question.
The prosecution established that the messages had been sent from the phones of users who do not have any authority over the Ovtcha Kupel District. Prosecutors then arrived at the conclusion that the identified persons were objectively incapable of influencing the management of the kindergarten. The inspection of the medical documentation that ACF urged for was not among the actions undertaken by the prosecution in the course of the investigation. The case was dismissed.