ROMANIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DETAINED IN €1.1M FRAUD INVESTIGATION

Romanian prosecutors have detained former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu in connection with an investigation into an alleged €1.1 million fraud scheme and the formation of an organised criminal group. Georgescu was taken into custody on Monday, September 21, after investigators stopped him in traffic near Otopeni and escorted him to his home in Mogoșoaia, where a search was conducted. Prosecutors later took him to the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism for questioning.

The investigation involved five search warrants executed in Bucharest and nearby areas including Mogoșoaia, Ciolpani and Buftea. Prosecutors said the case concerns alleged aggravated fraud and the creation of an organised criminal group. Georgescu was placed in 24-hour custody after questioning, while prosecutors said they would ask a judge to approve 30 days of preventive detention. Georgescu reportedly exercised his right to remain silent during the proceedings. The allegations have not been established by a court.

According to investigators, three men allegedly formed the group in September 2021 and presented themselves as wealthy foreign investors capable of arranging large loans for Romanian businesses. Prosecutors allege that a businessman from Buzău County transferred more than €1.1 million after being promised access to a foreign credit facility of €6 million, which was later said to have been increased to as much as €15 million. The money was allegedly requested as a guarantee for the proposed financing, which investigators say never materialised.

During the searches, authorities reportedly recovered documents, electronic storage devices, identity papers and equipment described as a signal-jamming device. Investigators are also examining financial transactions involving other individuals and companies, including possible links outside Romania. Georgescu's name emerged in the case alongside businessman Ionel Rusen, who was also detained in connection with the investigation. The case remains under investigation, and no conviction has been recorded in relation to the alleged fraud.

Georgescu became internationally known after emerging as the leading candidate in Romania's 2024 presidential election before the vote was annulled by Romanian authorities amid allegations of Russian interference, which Moscow denied. A fresh election was held in 2025 and was won by Nicușor Dan. Georgescu has since faced other legal proceedings, including allegations relating to attempts to undermine Romania's constitutional order and the promotion of prohibited fascist ideology. He has denied wrongdoing in those