# Legal proceedings against local officials in Balkans > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/legal-proceedings-against-local-officials-in-balkans > Updated: 2026-10-21T12:15:57.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2. Legal actions have been initiated against former municipal leaders in the Balkan region regarding allegations of corruption and misuse of authority. In Strumica, former Mayor Kostadin Kostadinov and two others face criminal charges for abuse of official position and falsification of documents. The Ministry of Internal Affairs alleges the suspects used a falsified technical report to illegally remove municipal objects from records, allowing a private individual to unlawfully acquire approximately 866 square meters of state land. Kostadinov has denied the allegations, claiming his actions followed legal procedures and characterizing the charges as “political intrigue.” In Petrich, Bulgaria, the European Public Prosecutor's Office has indicted Mayor Dimitar Brachkov for fraud involving the misuse of European Union funds. The indictment alleges that funds from the INTERREG V-A Greece-Bulgaria program, intended for the renovation of former military barracks into a museum, were used to construct an entirely new building instead. Prosecutors claim the mayor concealed the demolition of the original structures to bypass EU funding restrictions. Brachkov faces a potential prison sentence of two to eight years. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-21: Petrich Mayor Indicted by European Public Prosecutor's Office The EPPO has indicted Petrich Mayor Dimitar Brachkov for fraud involving €650,000 in EU funds intended for museum renovation. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/petrich-mayor-indicted-by-european-public-prosecutors-office ### 2026-10-16: Kostadin Kostadinov faces criminal charges in Strumica Former Strumica Mayor Kostadin Kostadinov faces criminal charges for allegedly abusing his position to facilitate the illegal legalization of a building and the acquisition of state land in Kuklish. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/strumica-former-mayor-faces-criminal-charges-over-property-fraud --- Cite as: Legal proceedings against local officials in Balkans. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/legal-proceedings-against-local-officials-in-balkans