EU’s prosecution office suspends Bulgarian prosecutor amid probe

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has temporarily suspended its Bulgarian prosecutor Teodora Georgieva, who is the subject of an investigation into potential misconduct.

Announced on Thursday, it’s the first suspension and internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by a prosecutor in EPPO’s four years of existence. Tasked with investigating serious fraud in the European Union, the office’s independence is essential to its function and reputation. The move comes amid broader concerns about attempts by Bulgarian officials to impede EPPO’s high-profile investigations.

“As the strongest measure available against any risk or perception of compromised integrity of investigations, the supervising Bulgarian European Prosecutor has been temporarily suspended,” an EPPO statement read.

European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi said her office launched an administrative inquiry into potential misconduct by Georgieva days after Bulgarian media reported on apparent links between the magistrate and an alleged criminal. Asked to comment on the matter, EPPO declined.

Georgieva claims she was pressured in a campaign related to a high-profile investigation into the Bulgarian state-owned gas storage expansion facility, Chiren. 

She accused Delyan Peevski, a member of Bulgarian parliament, of threatening to stop her from indicting a former energy minister involved in the Chiren project.

“They are threatening me, and successfully. I feel threatened by Peevski. First there was the fire in the family house, in which my mother died,” Georgieva told Bulgarian television channel bTV.

After her mother died in the fire, which is being investigated as a potential arson, EPPO in recent weeks provided Georgieva with additional protection.

Reacting to the bTV statements, Peevski alleged Georgieva was lying and called on EPPO to respond.

The United States and the United Kingdom have sanctioned Peevski for “perpetuating corruption in Bulgaria.”

The Sofia city prosecutor’s office in 2023 initiated an anti-corruption check on Georgieva that, according to local media Capital, did not turn up evidence of a crime. An investigation into Georgieva by Bulgaria’s anti-corruption commission is ongoing.