Sat, Nov 21 2009
The Peshtera regional court gave a seven-year prison sentence to two people behind a human trafficking ring.
The two organised the travel of pregnant women to France, Novinar newspaper reported.
According to law the maximum sentence for such crime is eight years. The two will also have to pay a 7 000 leva fine each.
In 2003 the two convinced two pregnant women to give birth in Paris. After the birth, the women signed some documents, unaware of the content. In this manner the children were taken away and sold for a price varying between 5 000 and 10 000 euro.
The National Service for Combating Organised Crime (NSCOC) uncovered another trafficking ring in February. Its organisers took pregnant women to Greece, where the children were sold to Greek families. Five men from Sliven and the Bourgas region were detained. The ring has been functioning since 2004 and the last case occurred in January 2006.
Bulgarian children are sold for different prices in various countries. A Greek family is willing to pay up to 15 000 euro. In France ring organisers manage to obtain between 6000 and 7000 euro. Most women willing to sell their children are of Roma origin. They receive a tenth of the total amount.
The European Commission is taking Bulgaria to court for delays in providing Sofia with adequate waste disposal facilities.
James Warlick is the spouse of Mary Warlick, director of the office of Russian affairs at the US state department, who has been nominated to serve as ambassador to Serbia
Bulgaria’s Health Ministry announced on November 20 2009 that the flu epidemic declared two weeks earlier is at an end as rates of infection decline. The announcement coincides with reports of two deaths from A (H1N1) flu in Bulgaria.
Acting on allegations by Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria leader Ivan Kostov, prosecutors and Government officials are to probe deals by which Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan acquired various properties.
Prosecutors allege that a deal agreed by the former defence minister caused losses of 12.9 million leva.