Specialized Criminal Court Finds Guilty Former Economy and Energy Ministry on Charges Related to Operation of Coal Mine

The Specialized Criminal Court rendered a guilty verdict to former economy and energy minister Roumen Ovcharov who served in the Sergei Stanishev government in 2005-2007, the Specialized Appellate Prosecuting Magistracy said. Ovcharov was given a suspended sentence of two years in prison and three years of probation period.

The former minister was charged is mismanagement as in his capacity of a principal of the Bobov Dol coal mines he failed to exercise control over the activity of the mine's executive director at the time, Plamen Stefanov, as a result of which rights for mining of coal were transferred to a private mine without the proper procedure. This caused detriment to the State  amounting to 16,556,344 leva.

The court also granted a civil action against Ovcharov to the same amount. The former minister was also deprived of the right to take up state and public posts for three years.

Stefanov too was found guilty of mismanagement and given a suspended sentence of two years in prison. His mismanagement caused detriment amounting to 22,775,574 leva. A civil action to the same amount against him was granted as well.

The suspended sentences were motivated with the defendants' clean criminal records and the fact that the wrongdoing took place a long time ago.

The decision of the court can be appealed.

Source: BTA