The Municipal Election Commission (OIK) in Pomorie terminated the powers of the mayor of the village of Bata, Georgi Georgiev, following a final verdict by the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS) for vote buying. Georgiev was convicted of giving 50 BGN to four people to vote for a certain political party in parliamentary elections in 2021.
After an acquittal by the Regional Court in Pomorie, on the second instance the mayor was found guilty and received a 10-month suspended sentence with a three-year probation period. Despite this, he continued to govern the village due to a lack of automatic notification of institutions about the sentence.
OIK-Pomorie, after a signal from municipal councilors, requested the documents for the sentence from the mayor of Pomorie. Lawyers point out that Georgiev cannot run for mayor until the probation period expires.
Extraordinary partial elections for the mayor of the village of Bata are to be scheduled.