Kristian Vigenin questions European Chief Prosecutor Kovesi about Pepi Evroto

The head of the delegation of the Bulgarian Socialists in the European Parliament Kristian Vigenin put a sharp question to the European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi about possible outside interference in the selection of the Bulgarian prosecutor at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. He was prompted by the leaked recording linked to the former investigator Petyo Petrov, known as Petyo Evroto. Vigenin raised this question during the debate on the report on the work of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office for 2024 at a joint meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) in the European Parliament. 

„The recording raises serious questions about possible outside interference, financial arrangements and political pressure in the appointment of a Bulgarian prosecutor at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office“, Vigenin pointed out, stressing that for more than a week there has been no reaction either from the institution or from prosecutor Teodora Georgieva herself.

“In view of the high ethical standards that the prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office must follow, do you consider this silence acceptable? What concrete steps will you take to ensure that this case does not undermine confidence in the institution?”, Vigenin asked.

Laura Kövesi’s response

The MEP asked whether the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has an internal mechanism for guaranteeing the integrity of the delegated prosecutors not only at their appointment but also in the course of their work.

In reply, Laura Kovesi explained that an investigation is currently under way in connection with events that may have taken place before the appointment of a European delegated prosecutor from Bulgaria. For that reason she cannot comment on the particular case. Nevertheless, Kovesi assured that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has various mechanisms for guaranteeing ethical standards and discipline among its prosecutors. In her words, the institution applies strict rules and procedures that ensure transparency and integrity in the work of the delegated prosecutors. She assured that there are mechanisms for transferring cases between prosecutors, as well as the possibility of replacing supervising prosecutors if necessary. Kovesi stressed that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office strictly adheres to the highest ethical standards in order to guarantee confidence in the institution.