The Largest Number of Vote Trading Alerts are against LEADER and Ataka

Emilia Peneva, prosecutor at the Supreme Cassation Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the Prosecutor's Office is examining 13 cases of criminal groups and organizers of vote trading. So far accusations have been brought to Liberal Initiative for Democratic European Development (LEADER), "Ataka", followed by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and NMSS Stability and Prosperity.

The alerts for vote trading on the national elections are twice as many as those for the EP elections in June. Prosecutor Peneva was clear that there were alerts for all parties, Focus News reported.

Five of the alerts were for criminal groups, in accordance with article 321 of the Criminal code and they were made in Sofia, Haskovo, Pleven, Levski and Sliven. State prosecution is investigating the organizers of the vote buying.

The first court ruling for vote trading in the EP elections was made in Plovdiv and it was in favour of National Movement VMRO. The first court agreement, again for the EP elections, was made in favour of Ataka in Nova Zagora. LEADER, BND, OLJ and Ataka were also accused of vote buying.

All investigations involve interrogations of party leaders, Peneva explained. She noted that [arty leader Ivan Kostov alerted for buying of votes and assisted in the investigation of the case. The prosecutor's office has conducted the total of 189 probes since May, 25.

The alerts in the day of the EP elections were 44, and those for the national ballot exceeded 70. So far 68 preliminary proceedings have been started. Thirty-eight of them were started on June 7th and 16 - on the day of the national vote.

The average cost of a single vote in the country was estimated between 50 and 60 BGN (25-30 euros), Mrs Peneva explained. Nokolai Kokinov, prosecutor from Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, also said that in the vote-trading scheme with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Aleksander Filipov votes were traded for similar costs.