The Specialized Prosecutor's Office initiated pre-trial proceedings for an organized criminal group - a crime under Art. 321, para.3, item 2 in connection with para. 2 of the Criminal Code, that from 2015 to 2021 on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria there was an organized criminal group created for profit, in which officials from the InvestBulgaria Agency may participate.
A team of two prosecutors and five investigators has been formed at the Investigation Department within the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, as the case is characterized by factual and legal complexity. The case concerns the interests of the Republic of Bulgaria regarding membership in the Schengen area and the abolition of visas for Bulgarian citizens to the United States.
In the course of the investigation, on the grounds of Art. 159 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Specialized Prosecutor's Office requested information and documents from the InvestBulgaria Agency, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Justice, Migration Directorate within the Ministry of Interior. At the same time, the State Agency for National Security was assigned to conduct an inspection for each individual case of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship by naturalization through investments, as well as to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the origin of funds used for investments.
As far as the case affects the interests of every Bulgarian citizen, the Specialized Prosecutor's Office will periodically inform the public about the outcome of the investigation.
The Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria will inform the European Commission and the European Parliament about the investigation.