Bulgaria sacks coal execs for suspected embezzlement

* Coal execs fired after audit showed suspected embezzlement

* GERB party sees worrying trends in energy sector

* Sofia under EU pressure to stamp out graft

By Irina Ivanova

SOFIA, July 13 (Reuters) - Bulgaria Energy Holding (BEH), which runs the Balkan country's big state-owned energy firms, said on Monday it had fired two executives over suspected embezzlement at Maritsa East, its biggest coal mine.

On Friday, the centre-right GERB party which won July 5 general elections called on the outgoing Socialist-led government to temporarily halt major projects citing concerns about activities at state energy companies. [ID:nLA562662]

GERB will lead the next government and must fight corruption and crime to avoid more sanctions from the European Union which last year cut Sofia's access to over 500 million euros ($696 million) in aid as punishment.

BEH said it dismissed Ivan Markov, chief executive of the Maritsa East coal complex, and his deputy Gocho Hristov, following a financial audit of the mines.