Bulgaria

[BG] Conflict of Interest Case in the Media Sector

IRIS 2010-10:1/17

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

The Parliamentary Anti-Corruption, Conflict of Interests and Parliamentary Ethics Committee has submitted a report on the basis of which the Supreme Administrative Court initiated a lawsuit under the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Disclosure Act (promulgated in the State Gazette No 94/31 of October 2008, effective since 1 January 2009; see IRIS 2009-2: 9/10).

The lawsuit is being brought against the chairman of the Council for Electronic Media. It is alleged that he did not observe the seven-day term for filing a declaration as required by the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Disclosure Act.

According to the findings contained in the report of the Parliamentary Committee the accused became chairman of the Council for Electronic Media on 7 April 2010, but deposited his declaration under the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Disclosure Act on 25 May 2010. In his written explanation to the Parliamentary Committee he stated that he had submitted a similar declaration according to the provisions of the Radio and Television Act and he thought that by performing this he had fulfilled the requirements set out by the special piece of legislation (i.e., the Radio and Television Act) and therefore he was not obliged to file an additional declaration under the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Disclosure Act, which in his opinion is a general piece of legislation.

The open court session was scheduled for 11 October 2010.