The solving of crimes in Bulgaria has gone down by eight per cent in the past two years, private national broadcaster bTV reported on December 5 2008, quoting a report by the Prosecutor-General's Office.

The Prosecutor-General's report, which was discussed in Parliament, showed that the decline started in 2006 when the percentage of crimes solved went down from 60 per cent in 2005 to 53 per cent. In 2007 the rate went down to 52 per cent.

In 2006 and 2007, 51 000 people or 91 per cent of those who have been accused in court had been sentenced.

"This year the tendency is not that visible but it is still a worrying fact and we all should be aware of it," Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev said.  The tendency, according to him, was not a result of corruption in law enforcement but rather a result of a lack of police resources.