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Calin Georgescu has been detained in Romania as prosecutors said they were investigating the former Romanian presidential candidate for fraud.
Georgescu, a pro-Russian politician who first made headlines during Romania’s 2024 presidential election, was detained by police and the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) on Monday.
He was taken in for questioning over alleged fraud and forming an organised criminal group.
Prosecutors accused Georgescu and two others of defrauding a Romanian businessman by making him believe he could get access to up to €15 million worth of foreign bank financing in exchange for cash.
“Under these circumstances, the perpetrators persuaded the victim to transfer over 1,000,000 euros,” DIICOT said in a press release, adding that they later “persuaded the victim to transfer another sum of 100,000 euros.”
The group presented themselves as “prosperous businesspeople and executives of foreign companies who allegedly had large sums of money available to lend to the victims – who intended to expand their businesses in Romania – provided they submitted financial guarantees,” it added.
Some of Georgescu’s supporters gathered outside DIICOT headquarters as he was questioned, carrying flags and religious icons while chanting “freedom for Calin,” Euronews Romania reported.
Georgescu is already facing two other cases, one involving allegations that he acted against Romania’s constitutional order and one in which he is accused of promoting fascist ideology.
2024 election run
Georgescu rose to prominence in 2024 after winning the first round of Romania’s presidential election. Romania’s Constitutional Court later annulled the election, citing allegations of electoral interference.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the second round in December of that year, the nationalist politician said he would end all support to Ukraine if elected while also denying that Russian influence had helped his campaign.