Romania Detains Ex-Presidential Candidate in Fraud Probe

Romanian authorities have detained former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu as part of an investigation into alleged fraud and organised crime.

Georgescu, 64, was detained on Monday as prosecutors carried out searches in and around Bucharest in connection with the case.

The Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) said it had ordered the detention of two Romanian citizens, aged 64 and 47, over allegations of forming an organised criminal group and committing fraud with particularly serious consequences on a continuous basis.

Prosecutors allege that the group approached entrepreneurs seeking financing and offered to arrange business loans through foreign financial institutions.

Applicants were allegedly required to provide cash guarantees before receiving the promised loans, with prosecutors saying one victim was defrauded of more than €1.1 million.

Local media published images showing Georgescu in handcuffs at DIICOT, where he was questioned.

He has not publicly responded to the latest investigation.

The detention comes as Georgescu is already on trial over alleged acts against Romania’s constitutional order following the annulment of the 2024 presidential election.

He unexpectedly won the first round of that election, which was later cancelled over allegations of Russian interference.

Following Georgescu’s detention, George Simion, leader of the main far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), criticised the move, saying that anyone could be targeted next.

Simion accused the authorities of abuse and described Romania as a dictatorship.

“Stop the abuse! Romania is a dictatorship!!!!” he said.

The latest case comes as Romania continues to face political uncertainty.

President Nicusor Dan last week nominated liberal European Parliament member Siegfried Muresan as his latest choice for prime minister, his third attempt to form a government after a pro-European coalition collapsed in May.

The far right, which holds roughly a third of the seats in parliament, has called for snap elections, but Dan has so far rejected the proposal.