Bulgarian Justice Minister denies corruption allegations by former prosecutor

Bulgarian Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov has denied allegations of political corruption and influence peddling made by former acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. In an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials, Sarafov claimed that Naydenov has been conducting a “casting” of candidates for the professional quota of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), holding meetings both in his ministry office and at a private company office in the Lozenets district of Sofia.

Naydenov responded by characterizing the claims as a “compromising attack” that weaves real events into fabricated allegations. He clarified that while he does meet with magistrates in his official capacity, he has never made promises or demanded loyalty from SJC candidates. Regarding the private office mentioned, Naydenov stated he had visited the premises of the company Ratola solely for personal reasons related to automotive services and insurance, and denied that any official meetings took place there.

The Minister announced he will take legal action to defend himself through established judicial channels rather than through the media.