Noyev, who held the post 2000 to 2001, stands accused of having "ordered and taken part in the exportation" of military spare parts that can be mounted on tractors or tanks, national television reported.

It is the latest development in an arms scandal that broke in November and briefly threatened to scupper the former communist state's invitation to join

Bulgarian and US intelligence services discovered that a state-owned company, Terem, sold weapons to Syria that may have been intended for re-export to Iraq in violation of UN sanctions.

A subsequent government inquiry found that between 1996 and 2000 a network illegally transferred arms produced at Terem's factory at Targovisht in northeastern Bulgaria and implicated an export company called Poldis.

Two deputy defense minister were fired in January and last month the directors of both Terem Targovisht and Poldis were handed suspended prison sentences and fines.

Noyev also faces charges of "not having done the necessary to improve a contract" between the defense ministry and the Italian company to upgrade the Bulgarian army's communications system in accordance with NATO standards, the Bulgarian news agency BTA said.

The contract has not been implemented.

Noyev, who has dismissed the charges as "absurd", is not being held in custody but has paid bail of 20,000 leva (10,000 euros/11,800 dollars), according to the television report.

WAR.WIRE