Bulgarian EPPO prosecutor dangles complaint shaking the political and judicial scene

A dispute involving Bulgaria’s representative in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has triggered fresh turmoil in the country’s judiciary and political sphere, after the prosecutor accused senior Bulgarian officials and a prominent political leader of pressure and intimidation linked to sensitive investigations.

Teodora Georgieva, Bulgaria’s European prosecutor in the EPPO College, submitted a formal signal to caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov alleging “pressure, threats and attempts to undermine the authority of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office by senior representatives of the Bulgarian prosecution service and a political leader sanctioned for corruption by the U.S. and the UK”.

The existence of the signal was first announced by the Bulgarian justice ministry with Georgieva’s consent.

The accusations have placed several powerful figures at the centre of the controversy, including acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, newly appointed Sofia City Prosecutor Emilia Rusinova, and Delyan Peevski, the influential oligarch and leader of Bulgaria’s Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) who is under sanctions for corruption by both the U.S. and the UK.

Allegations linked to major investigations

According to the justice ministry, Georgieva’s signal contains a detailed account of events surrounding investigations conducted in recent years by the Bulgarian office of the EPPO into cases of significant public interest.

Among the cases mentioned is the probe into the expansion project of the Chiren gas storage facility, a strategic energy infrastructure project in Bulgaria.

The signal also refers to disciplinary proceedings currently being conducted against Georgieva by the EPPO College. The European prosecutor’s office recently announced it had identified serious violations in her conduct and had referred the matter to the European Parliament, which may ultimately decide on her dismissal.

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According to the ministry, Georgieva links her actions as a prosecutor in the Chiren investigation – particularly attempts to pursue criminal charges against a high-ranking public official – to the anonymous release in March 2025 of a secret video recordings from a 2020 meeting.

The footage allegedly shows Georgieva meeting Petyo Petrov, also known as “The Euro”, who has been publicly identified as the alleged leader of the controversial influence network known as The Eight Dwarfs network, accused of manipulating judicial decisions in Bulgaria. At that time, the procedure through which Georgieva was selected as a European prosecutor was underway.

Claims of threats and manipulation

Following her complaint, Georgieva received immediate protection from Bulgaria’s interior ministry. The signal has also been forwarded to a special prosecutor authorised to investigate the country’s chief prosecutor.

In addition, prosecutors in another EU member state have been notified regarding Georgieva’s claims that threats were conveyed to her from that country.

The Bulgarian caretaker government has requested urgent meetings with the leadership of the EPPO as well as with the EU justice commissioner, seeking clarification about the situation and the disciplinary procedure against Georgieva. It remains unclear whether and when those meetings will take place.

In an interview with Bulgarian television channel Nova TV, Georgieva acknowledged that she had visited Petrov’s office several times, located in the premises of the Sofia Eight Dwarfs restaurant, a place that has become synonymous with allegations of criminal influence over the country’s justice system.

She also confirmed that she appears in one of the recordings in which a voice can be heard saying “We have decided it – you will become [EPPO prosecutor]”.

However, Georgieva argued that the recording had been manipulated and insisted she had been taken to the meeting by Rusinova, who recently returned to the influential position of Sofia City Prosecutor.

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Accusations involving Peevski

Georgieva also claimed that threats related to the Chiren investigation had been conveyed to her indirectly and linked them to Delyan Peevski.

According to her account, the message was delivered through an intermediary connected to the Chiren gas storage project. Witnesses in the case, she said, had reported pressure, extortion and demands for bribes related to the project.

The European prosecutor further said she had requested criminal investigations into both Sarafov and Rusinova over the dissemination of the recordings linked to the “Eight Dwarfs” case.

She suggested that the anonymous recordings circulated in the media may have originated from Sarafov’s office and argued that this could be established through forensic analysis.

“There is clearly a connection between Delyan Peevski, Borislav Sarafov, Emilia Rusinova and Petyo Petrov,” Georgieva said.

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Political and judicial fallout

Days after the allegations became public, neither Sarafov nor Rusinova had commented on the accusations.

Peevski was the only figure to react publicly. Even before Georgieva named him explicitly, he announced he would file a complaint with prosecutors, including the special prosecutor responsible for investigating the chief prosecutor.

He described Georgieva’s claims as “false allegations fabricated in a fake signal by a prosecutor removed for serious violations”.

The dispute comes at a sensitive moment for Bulgaria’s judicial system.

On Wednesday, the Prosecutorial College of the Supreme Judicial Council is expected to decide on a proposal from the caretaker justice minister to appoint a new acting prosecutor general.

Sarafov has remained in the role despite a ruling by the Supreme Court of Cassation that legal limits prevent him from continuing to hold the position after a certain period.

A protest calling for Sarafov’s resignation is scheduled to take place on Tuesday outside the Sofia Palace of Justice, highlighting the growing political pressure surrounding the case and the broader tensions within Bulgaria’s justice system.

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Caption: Screenshot from Teodora Georgieva’s interview with Nova TV Bulgaria, broadcast on 8 March 2026.

Updated: March 10, 2026 - 10:00