Bulgarian supreme prosecutor requests revocation of CEZ energy license

Bulgaria’s Chief State Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov has requested that the license to sell electricity by Czech energy company CEZ be revoked, amidst continuing nationwide demonstrations, Sofia news agency novinite.com wrote March 16.

“The ongoing check on CEZ’s activities has revealed massive irregularities in the ways CEZ accounts for power used by customers,” Tsatsarov said for bTV, according to novinite.com. “As a result, we the Supreme Administrative Prosecutor’s Office, has requested a revocation of the CEZ license.”

The investigation into the business practices carried out by CEZ, which supplies electricity to some 2 mln homes, was launched when the company was raided by tax officials and the police at the end of February.

Nationwide protests including three cases of self-immolation have gripped the country since what many viewed as exceedingly high electricity bills were sent out by incumbent provider CEZ in December 2012.

Continuing social unrest led to the mass resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s cabinet on February 21. The Bulgarian government subsequently accepted the cabinet’s resignation and an interim government was formed.

A snap election will be held May 12. Demonstrations continue, however, with people massing outside the ministries of energy and the economy.