FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Ivan Geshev, the Attorney General of Bulgaria, was fired today by President Rumen Radev, halfway through his seven-year term, after frustration and constant domestic and international calls that Geshev has failed to tackle corruption.
Radev signed a decree dismissing Geshev three days after Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) voted to oust him following months of political intrigue, which included an alleged bomb attack against him.
The 52-year-old Geshev was appointed for a seven-year term in 2019 with comprehensive powers to oversee the work of all prosecutors.
But his appointment prompted a backlash from people who accused him of protecting corrupt politicians, oligarchs and mafia bosses who were never brought to justice.
In February this year, the US and Britain sanctioned several Bulgarian nationals for corruption in what some experts interpreted as growing frustration in Washington and London with Geshev's failure to crack down on powerful people involved in corruption.
Geshev initially enjoyed the support of the SJC, which is responsible for all judicial appointments, but the council's support disappeared after Geshev referred to lawmakers as "political trash" in a press conference on May 15.
The SJC vote took place after the new coalition government in Bulgaria made the removal of Geshev a priority.
According to Transparency International, Bulgaria ranks poorly in terms of the perception of corruption within the European Union.
Immediately after the council's decision, Ivan Geshev strongly criticized the decision and blamed former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and influential business magnate Delyan Peevski for his dismissal.
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