The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has announced the temporary suspension of its Bulgarian prosecutor, Teodora Georgieva, amid an ongoing investigation into potential misconduct. This unprecedented action marks the first instance of a prosecutor being suspended during EPPO’s four-year history, highlighting the office’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of its operations.
Concerns over investigation integrity
This suspension comes at a time of growing concerns regarding efforts by Bulgarian officials to obstruct EPPO’s significant investigations into serious fraud within the European Union. An EPPO statement emphasized that the decision to suspend Georgieva was taken as a precautionary measure to mitigate any risks or perceptions of compromised integrity in the ongoing 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,” the statement read.
Allegations of threats and intimidation
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi noted that an administrative inquiry into Georgieva’s conduct was initiated shortly after Bulgarian media highlighted her alleged connections to a suspected criminal. Georgieva, for her part, has accused Delyan Peevski, a member of the Bulgarian parliament, of exerting undue pressure on her regarding a high-profile investigation into the Chiren gas storage expansion facility. She claimed, “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,” during an interview with Bulgarian television channel bTV.
The tragic incident involving Georgieva’s mother, who died in a fire currently being investigated for possible arson, has led EPPO to enhance her security measures in recent weeks. In response to Georgieva’s allegations, Peevski has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that she is fabricating claims and calling for the EPPO to counter her statements.
Internationally, both the United States and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on Peevski for his role in perpetuating corruption within Bulgaria. In a separate development, the Sofia city prosecutor’s office has initiated an anti-corruption check on Georgieva. However, according to local media sources, this investigation has not revealed any evidence of criminal activity against her. Meanwhile, inquiries by Bulgaria’s anti-corruption commission into Georgieva are still underway.