Ex-PM faces fraud charges

(First Edition)

SOFIA (Reuter) - Bulgaria's parliament stripped Andrei Lukanov, a former Communist prime minister, of his parliamentary immunity, opening the way for him to be formally charged with misappropriating state funds and damaging the economy, together with 60 other officials from the government of Todor Zhivkov, which was overthrown in 1989.

The Chief Prosecutor, Ivan Tatarchev, said credits were given to some countries that backed terrorism. Mr Lukanov denied the charges, saying the former government had conformed to UN resolutions on aid to Third World countries.