Expats

Bulgaria Launches Organized Crime Tribunal amid Politics-Criminals Ties* [Jan 03, 2012] Deutsche Presse-Agentur Bulgaria on Tuesday inaugurated a special tribunal that should enhance its so far faltering attempts to fight organized crime and corruption. The special court is intended to speed up the current slow pace of of defendants in organized crime and corruption trials. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgarian presidential election seen as a test of the poor nation?s stability [Oct 20, 2011] SOFIA, Bulgaria ? Bulgaria, the EU?s poorest country, holds presidential and mayoral elections on Sunday, and many see them as a test of the nation?s political stability at a time of economic crisis. Some observers have said that one of the biggest tests may be to prevent impoverished Bulgarians from selling their votes in a country with widespread crime and corruption. Read full article >> [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Elects President of New 'Special Court' [Oct 06, 2011] Judge Georgi Ushev was elected by the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council to head the first-instance criminal court set up to hear high-profile organized crime and corruption cases. This was the third competition for the so-called 'specialized court' or 'anti-mafia tribunal' head, after the first two failed with no candidates adequate showing up. Ushev was elected with 21 votes from the Supreme ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Excels in Organized Crime, Corruption Acquittals - EC Report 2011 [Jul 20, 2011] Bulgaria has failed to achieve "convincing results" in its fight against organized crime and corruption, according to the annual monitoring report of the European Commission on its post-EU accession progress. The EC is about as critical of Bulgaria's continuing failure to crack down on organized crime and corruption as it is of the country's flawed reform of the judiciary. The 2011 monitoring ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Foolishly Fails over Tougher Crack-Down on Illegal Assets [Jul 08, 2011] The majority in Bulgaria's parliament has surprisingly failed to pass through a long-delayed and keenly expected bill, authorizing widespread confiscation of illegally obtained assets without a conviction. The draft law, initiated by Bulgaria's Justice Minister Margarita Popova and widely touted by the ruling party as a powerful tool in crime and corruption combat, was supported on Friday by ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's New Anti-Corruption Unit to Cost BGN 2 M per Year [Feb 20, 2011] The newly established Center for Prevention of Organized Crime and Corruption (BORKOR) will cost the Bulgarian state budget BGN 2 M per year, according to the unit's head, Rumen Milanov. "The project for BORKOR began implementing during the previous government. This is a new approach, which has not been implemented in Bulgaria.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria welcomes "positive" EU progress report [Feb 18, 2011] (SOFIA ) - Bulgaria welcomed on Friday the European Commission's "positive" and "objective" report on its progress in terms of judiciary reforms and the fight against crime and corruption. [via YahooNews] More >>

Interviews: Bulgaria in 2011 [Dec 28, 2010] According to BSP, the cabinet suffered most criticism in the economic and social sphere and the delay of Bulgaria?s entry to the Schengen Area was an indication of failure in the fight against organized crime and corruption. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria and Romania face longer spell in Schengen visa waiting room [Nov 11, 2010] The question of when Bulgaria and Romania will join the European Union?s Schengen visa zone is more than just a matter of technical requirements ? because European Commission (EC) reports on the two countries? performances against organised crime and corruption could play a crucial role. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria and Romania chided by EU [Sep 13, 2010] EU leaders say Bulgaria and Romania must act urgently to tackle crime and corruption - areas in which they are failing to meet EU standards. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's government, judiciary at each other's throats over alleged plot [Aug 12, 2010] Bulgaria's judiciary has been accused of corruption after suspects accused of plotting to kill the prime minister were released - due to lack of evidence. The EU has warned Sofia to tackle organized crime and corruption. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria EU Commissioner: Tension between Sofia, Brussels Eases [Jul 21, 2010] Right after the European Commission encouraged Bulgaria for the way it tackles organized crime and corruption, Kristalina Georgieva, the Bulgarian commissioner for humanitarian aid, has commented that the crisis in the relations between Sofia and Brussels is subsiding. [via YahooNews] More >>

CIA to help Bulgaria fight crime, corruption [May 27, 2010] The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has offered its support to Bulgaria in fighting crime and corruption, agency chief Leon Panetta said on a visit here Thursday. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Wobbling Hercules [May 06, 2010] Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borisov has won praise across the EU for what other leaders in the bloc have seen as his decisiveness and strong will to quell crime and corruption and to implement difficult reforms. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Commissioner Asks Another EUR 90 M for Haiti (Novinite.com) [Feb 14, 2010] Talking to the Bulgarian media on Sunday, Georgieva highly praised the hard line to combat crime and corruption that Bulgaria's government has taken. Photo by BGNES [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Supreme Judicial Council with New Plan to Fight Crime (Novinite.com) [Jan 07, 2010] Bulgaria's VSS is preparing a new plan to fight organized crime and corruption by improving the judicial system and make its work more effective. File Photo [via YahooNews] More >>