Bulgarian Justice Minister asked to provide proof why judge barred from US should be dismissed
The judicial college of the Supreme Judicial Council has given Justice Minister Danail Kirilov seven days to submit evidence to support his request for the dismissal of Specialized Criminal Court judge Andon Mitalov, the subject of a ban on entry to the United States because of alleged involvement in corruption.
Kirilov lodged the application with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on February 7, two days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Mitalov, his wife and daughter were banned from entering the US.
Meeting behind closed doors on February 11, the SJC judicial college decided against initiating disciplinary proceedings against Mitalov.
It asked Kirilov to substantiate his allegation that Mitalov had damaged the prestige of the judiciary and breached his official duties by providing details of the date and place where Mitalov had done so, a specific case, and evidence that Mitalov had broken the Criminal Procedure Code.
Supreme Court of Cassation President Lozan Panov said that Kirilov’s application for Mitalov’s dismissal was deficient and vague and failed to give details of what Mitalov allegedly had done.
The SJC said on February 6 that it was to ask the State Department, via Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry, for the information behind the barring of Mitalov from the US.
(Photo of Danail Kirilov: government.bg)
