Prosecutors question Botevgrad mayor over alleged public procurement abuses
The mayor of the western Bulgarian city of Botevgrad was taken to prosecutors on June 22 for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in public procurement, the Interior Ministry said.
Mayor Georgi Georgiev was taken for questioning after repeatedly having failed to appear in spite of requests to do so, the ministry said.
No charges have been laid against him. The questioning was in connection with allegations regarding public procurement for asphalting of roads and tenders for rental of municipal property in Botevgrad.
Regional prosecutors were following up queries arising from a report by the National Audit Office. Auditors reportedly found a number of irregularities in the running of the municipality, including alleged corruption, lack of accountability and conflicts of interest.
Georgiev denies wrongdoing and sees the allegations against him as connected to the municipal elections forthcoming in Bulgaria in October 2015.
He is in his third term as mayor. He has stood for election on a succession of different tickets, first the Bulgarian Socialist Party, then the National Movement for Stability and Progress, and most recently from GERB.
Georgiev was expelled from GERB on May 12 at his own request, the party said. GERB distanced itself from his actions as mayor of Botevgrad. The local GERB structure leadership quit the party in May, objecting to the decision by GERB national leadership not to support Georgiev for a further term in office.
Georgiev is the father of Daniel Kirilov, who made headlines as an MP when he switched back and forth between GERB and the Bulgaria Without Censorship party within one day.
