Sofia  - Several people with criminal indictments have joined the race in Bulgaria's first parliamentary election since it joined the European Union, scheduled for July 5. In doing so, they have conspicuously staved off their rendezvous with justice.

A candidate for a legislative seat must have the same conditions as his rival, the law says. So, those being processed are released from prison and trials are interrupted.

On Wednesday, the new immunity of a prospective deputy hampered the largest trial, so far at least, of people accused of abusing EU funds, a widespread practice that cost Bulgaria a billion dollars in development aid in 2008, a year after it became an EU member.

When Ivan Ivanov - one of those on trial for forging documents to embezzle 7.5 million euros (10.5 million dollars) of EU funds for Bulgaria's agriculture - decided to run for parliament, the court also had to suspend proceedings against eight other defendants.

At that, the investigation and trial, launched in February, were already late, coming only after the EU anti-corruption watchdog OLAF proved that Bulgarian documents showing the disbursement of aid were crooked.

The group on the suspended trial had forged documents to hide that money for new food-processing machinery was spent on second-hand machines - the difference in the price disappeared in their pockets, prosecutors said.

Protection of would-be legislators from prosecution also tripped up the court in Dupnica, a town 60 kilometres south of Sofia, which had to release two partners in a well-run racketeering outfit.

Plamen Galev and Angel Hristov, former policemen who turned to more lucrative business on the other side of the law, easily paid 50,000 leva (35,500 dollars) for bail - each - and walked off to campaign in politics.

They had been arrested and accused of blackmail, extortion, prostitution, torture and drug trafficking, but now a jump from prison into parliament would stave off their trial as long as their mandate lasts - four years in case of a stable government.

Previously, the former deputy premier, Aleksandar Tomov, provisionally got off the hook earlier owing to his - it turned out futile - campaign for a seat in the European Parliament.

Tomov is accused of embezzling millions of dollars he was the director of the CSKA Sofia football club and the Kremikovci steel mill.

Though European elections came and went, he is not returning to the courthouse just yet, because now he is running for the Bulgarian parliament. (dpa)