Latest killing a setback for Bulgarian EU hopes

BULGARIA: One of Bulgaria's richest men was shot dead yesterday in the middle of its capital, Sofia, hours after Brussels warned the Balkan nation that rampant crime and corruption threatened to derail its EU application.

Banking and insurance tycoon Emil Kyulev died when a gunman riddled his car with bullets amid Sofia's rush-hour traffic.

The murder of the controversial businessman, who amassed an estimated $500 million fortune, was the latest mafia-style "hit" to blight Bulgaria, most of whose 7.8 million people still struggle to make ends meet 16 years after the end of communist rule.

Mr Kyulev (48) perished the morning after the EU told Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania that they had to accelerate reform to stay on track for membership in 2007.

"This is a real threat to EU accession," admitted Bulgaria's socialist prime minister Sergei Stanishev, who came to power last summer.

"This brazen execution-style murder aims to destabilise the country, and obviously the circles behind it do not accept the European orientation of Bulgaria and want to hinder its progress toward the EU," said interior minister Rumen Petkov.

He said he had established a panel to investigate Mr Kyulev's death and was stepping up measures against criminal gangs, a day after insisting that Bulgaria was "taking adequate steps and actions" to meet the EU's concerns.

"Without a doubt," he declared yesterday, "we will use all of our resources to wage a war against crime." But critics say they have heard it all before.

Earlier this month, a high-ranking customs official was murdered in Sofia, while in August, as he celebrated his football team's success in qualifying for the Uefa Cup, businessman Georgy Iliev was shot dead by a sniper outside the bar he owned.

Last year, the boss of a leading security company was gunned down along with five bodyguards in a Sofia restaurant, while in 2003 Iliya Pavlov - who was Bulgaria's richest man at the time - was killed by an assassin.

"The failure to obtain one significant conviction for high-level corruption in recent years is a cause for serious concern," EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said recently in Sofia.

"The time of action plans is over. The commission now wants to see results."

Tuesday's progress report reiterated lingering concerns over the readiness of Romania and Bulgaria for EU membership.

"The report should not lead to rejoicing or sadness. We must remain vigilant, ready to meet what is required for joining in 2007," said Romanian president Traian Basescu, who ousted the former communists last year.

"I will continue to pressure state institutions, so that laws are applied equally to someone who steals two chickens and to someone who steals a bank."