Calin Georgescu detained in Romania fraud probe

Romanian prosecutors detained far-right politician Calin Georgescu, a former presidential candidate, on Monday in a fraud investigation.

Georgescu, 64, is accused in a fresh case of forming an organised criminal group and fraud with particularly serious consequences, prosecutors said. The organised crime office DIICOT said it had ordered the detention of two Romanian defendants, aged 64 and 47.

Local media images showed a handcuffed Georgescu at DIICOT, where he was questioned.

Prosecutors said the group allegedly approached entrepreneurs seeking financing and offered to arrange business loans from foreign financial institutions. Before receiving the promised loans, applicants were required to provide cash guarantees, and the group defrauded a victim of more than 1.1 million euros, prosecutors said.

Georgescu has not reacted to the investigation.

He is already standing trial for acts against the constitutional order after Romania's 2024 presidential election was annulled. Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round before the election was cancelled over allegations of Russian interference.

George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, wrote on Facebook after Georgescu's detention: "Any one of us could be next." He also wrote: "Stop the abuse! Romania is a dictatorship!!!!"

The case comes during political turmoil in Romania. President Nicusor Dan last week named liberal European Parliament member Siegfried Muresan as his latest choice for prime minister, in a third attempt to form a government after a pro-EU coalition collapsed in May.