Prosecutors postpone deadline for probe into Plovdiv European Capital of Culture
The deadline for the investigation into spending related to the January 12 opening ceremony of Plovdiv European Capital of Culture has been postponed by 30 days, Galina Andreeva of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in the city said on February 18.
The investigation, initiated by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, was announced on January 16 in response to “numerous reports and comments in various media,” the office said at the time.
The police’s economic crimes squad was assigned to carry out the investigation.
Andreeva said that the work of investigators was continuing because of the very large volume of documentation that had to be examined.
The Plovdiv 2019 Foundation said at the time of the start of the investigation that the January 12 opening show had been allocated about 2.2 million leva, with production costs of about 900 000 leva accounting for the largest portion of this.
The foundation has welcomed the investigation, which it has said will prove that there were no abuses.
It said that in accordance with Bulgarian law, the data related to the opening ceremony were public and available on the foundation’s website, along with the entire opening event budget.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
