Prosecutor Collegium of the Supreme Judicial Council Postpones Decision on Temporary Suspension of Emilia Rusinova.

The Prosecutorial College of the Supreme Judicial Council postponed its decision on the request for the temporary suspension of Emilia Rusinova until the disciplinary proceedings against her are completed.

Earlier, Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov said he had submitted a motivated request to the college for her temporary suspension. The item was added extraordinarily to the agenda of today’s meeting.

Former caretaker justice minister Andrey Yankulov said in April that a proposal had been submitted to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Rusinova.

The disciplinary proceedings were prompted by information disclosed by the Interior Ministry in April. According to the information, Rusinova travelled abroad in the same car as wanted former investigator Petyo Petrov, known by the nickname the Euro.

These circumstances are among the grounds on which the justice minister requested her temporary suspension until the disciplinary review is completed.

The arguments are linked to two border crossings with Petyo Petrov and Kristian Hristov at a time when the Eight Dwarfs case was already publicly known.

Petrov’s whereabouts are unknown and he has been declared wanted, while several investigations are under way against him. His name was placed at the centre of one of the largest investigations into alleged unlawful influence in the judiciary following the revelations around the Eight Dwarfs case.

We postponed it in order to ensure Rusinova’s right to defence, Evgeni Ivanov from the Prosecutorial College told the media after the meeting.

He added that the minister’s decisions would be sent to Rusinova so that she could review them and, if she wished, submit a written opinion or appear in person.

The decision of the Prosecutorial College of the Supreme Judicial Council will be crucial in determining whether Emilia Rusinova will remain at the head of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office until the disciplinary proceedings are completed or whether she will be temporarily suspended from office.

According to the motives, disciplinary liability is being sought against the head of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office over alleged links with Petyo Petrov, known as the Euro, who is described as a lobbyist in the judiciary and is linked to the Eight Dwarfs scandal.