Court arrests pro-Russian former Romanian presidential candidate Georgescu on suspicion of fraud

A court in Romania has ordered the arrest of pro-Russian politician and former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu for 30 days on suspicion of fraud that resulted in losses of €1.1 million.

Reuters writes about this.

Prosecutors allege that Georgescu and two other suspects convinced a Romanian businessman to hand over €1.1 million in exchange for helping them secure a loan of up to €15 million from a foreign financial institution. The politician denies the charges.

The court initially refused to remand Georgescu in custody, ordering him to be placed under judicial supervision, a mild preventive measure. However, the prosecutorʼs office appealed the decision, and the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in its favor. The decision is final.

Hundreds of supporters of the Romanian politician gathered near the courthouse in central Bucharest — they cried as he descended the stairs, hugged him, and gave him flowers.

In addition to this case, Georgescu is on trial in two separate cases: one on charges of attempting to undermine national security after the annulment of the elections, and the other for propagandizing for Romaniaʼs fascist leaders of the 1930s.

• Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential election in November 2024, gaining 23% of the vote. At the same time, public opinion polls conducted before the election did not name Georgescu among the favorites — his support was only about 5%.
• The countryʼs authorities suspected him of vote-rigging through TikTok, as well as that Russia might be behind it.
• The results of the first round were annulled by the Constitutional Court, and an investigation was launched against Georgescu and his associates. Then Nicosor Dan became the president of the country.

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