The Bulgarian National Audit Office has launched conflict of interest proceedings involving MP Delyan Peevski following a formal complaint alleging a mismatch between his declared assets and his actual lifestyle.
The proceedings were initiated after a report submitted on July 31, 2026, by former Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. The complaint raises questions about an alleged discrepancy between the publicly declared assets and income of the lawmaker and his lifestyle. The National Audit Office’s decision identifies the subject of the proceedings only by the initials D.P., but notes that the individual is a member of the 49th, 50th, 51st and 52nd National Assembly and therefore falls under the legislation governing public office holders.
The audit will examine a three-year period, in line with the provisions of the Law on Combating Corruption among Persons Holding Public Offices. Under the law, the inspection must be completed within three months, although the deadline may be extended if the case proves factually or legally complex. Once the review is completed, the institution will issue a reasoned decision determining whether a conflict of interest exists.
The National Audit Office noted that proceedings to establish a conflict of interest must be initiated within six months of discovering the alleged violation and no later than three years after it was committed, in accordance with the applicable anti-corruption legislation.
The investigation is being carried out under transitional legal provisions that temporarily assign responsibility for reviewing asset declarations and conflict of interest cases to the National Audit Office. Under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, these powers remain with the Audit Office until three months after the newly established Anti-Corruption Commission’s chairperson and members officially take office.
Under Bulgarian law, a conflict of interest can only be established if three conditions are met simultaneously: the individual holds a public office, has exercised a specific official power, and has a private interest that results in a benefit either for themselves or for a related person.