Serbia's inability to reach a decision on the extradition of Tzvetan Vassilev, former chief executive of Bulgaria's collapsed Corporate Commercial Bank who has been indicted on embezzlement charges, questions the implementation of the European Convention on Extradition, Bulgaria's Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev said in a letter sent to the Council of Europe on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2020) Serbia's inability to reach a decision on the extradition of Tzvetan Vassilev, former chief executive of Bulgaria's collapsed Corporate Commercial Bank who has been indicted on embezzlement charges, questions the implementation of the European Convention on Extradition, Bulgaria's Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev said in a letter sent to the Council of Europe on Wednesday.
According to Geshev, Bulgaria first submitted a request for Vassilev's extradition five and a half years ago and a second request was filed 10 months afterwards. However, Serbian authorities have failed to reach a decision, despite the deadline for the extradition of wanted criminals in Europe being just 90 days after a request is filed, Geshev's letter stated, as cited in a Prosecutor's Office press release.
"The lack of judgmental decision of the competent authorities of the requested state - Republic of Serbia according the concrete case, in relation with criminal proceedings against the Bulgarian citizen Ts.V., questions the effective implementation of the European Convention with regard to the obligations of the requested country to take the decision in reasonable time limits," Geshev's letter reads, as quoted by the Prosecutor's Office.
A copy of the letter was sent to both the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President David Sassoli.
Bulgaria's Corporate Commercial Bank collapsed in 2014, and charges were brought against 18 individuals related to the company. Vassilev, who moved to Serbia amid the bank's collapse, and his co-defendants stand accused of embezzling a combined 2.56 billion levs ($1.44 billion).
