Barroso warns on Jeleva questioning

BRUSSELS, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Any allegations voiced about a Bulgarian European Commission nominee during hearings must be backed up by proof, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso says.

Barroso issued the warning in a letter to members of the European Parliament who were waiting for confirmation hearings to grill Rumiana Jeleva, the Bulgarian foreign minister and a former MEP who has been nominated as commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, the EUobserver reported Tuesday.

"Anyone accusing anyone of any wrongdoing should of course present corresponding evidence, as in our democratic societies the rule of law implies that the accuser should prove accusations," Barroso reportedly said in a letter sent on Monday.

The letter came after Jeleva was dubbed a "gangster bride" by the German newspaper Die Welt, which suggested her husband has connections with organized crime.

British liberal MEP Andrew Duff told the EUobserver that Jeleva would get a fair hearing, but warned her family connections were relevent.

"We are all conscious of the press speculation, especially in the German press, on (her) family's business concerns. And I am certain that the hearing of her is to be focused upon some of those issues," Duff said.