Deputy Prosecutor General fears for his life, says his boss "Thinks he owns prosecution service"

Deputy Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev "thinks he owns the Prosecution Service" and he is ashamed of his behaviour. The statement came shortly after Geshev announced during a news briefing that he is not going to come down despite the pressure on him to do so, and that he expects Sarafov to resign over pursuing his own agenda. Sarafov also said that he fears for his life.

He said: "As I know Mr Ivan Geshev, I declare that I fear for my life and I insist to get a security detail from the Security Directorate General of the Justice Ministry so that I don;t get suddenly killed, as was prosecutor Kolev under a different Prosecutor General."

Sarafov was referring to Nikolai Kolev, a prosecutor from the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office, was shot dead in Sofia in the evening of December 28, 2002. His murder caused a political scandal and there were allegations that it was ordered by then Prosecutor General Nikola Filchev.

Sarafov said that he is not going to resign.

Prosecutor General Geshev said Monday that he expects Sarafov to hand in his resignation Monday or else he would move for his replacement on Tuesday.

Sarafov told reporters that things have come to a point when there is a desperate need for catharsis, "to remove the rot so that the prosecution service can start work".