Romanian former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu picked up in EUR 1.1 million fraud case

During the searches at Călin Georgescu's home, DIICOT prosecutors found a forged document alleging that the politician was a senator in Malta. The document was not used by Călin Georgescu as part of the financial scheme for which he is currently being investigated, but prosecutors aim to check whether Georgescu might have used it to gain credibility.

The searches were extensive, and investigators used a special device to search for possible hiding places in the walls of Georgescu’s home. Police also found a diplomatic passport that appears to have been issued by the Order of the Knights of Malta. In an official reaction, the ambassador of the Order of Malta to Romania said that the documents are fake.

Searches were also conducted at the home of Constanța businessman Ionel Rusen, who was allegedly involved in the case. Rusen was presented by Georgescu as a trusted businessman who handles millions of euros, according to the document obtained by Digi24.ro.

Călin Georgescu arrived at the DIICOT headquarters. Several of his supporters, gathered in front of the building, met him with cries of “Freedom” or “Călin is innocent.”

Romanian businessman Răzvan Leu, who filed the criminal complaint against Călin Georgescu, said he was deceived by the politician.

“I confirm that I am the person who filed, in January 2024, the criminal complaint at the basis of the case investigated by DIICOT. I took this step for one reason only: I lost more than EUR 1 million, money earned through work, following the promise of financing that never materialized. I tried for years to recover the amount amicably, without any result,” the businessman said.

Leu met Călin Georgescu in 2021 and claims that he trusted both him and the projects he presented to him. “Like me, as you have seen, millions of Romanians trusted Călin Georgescu. I had full trust in Călin Georgescu and in what he told me. Unfortunately, everything turned out to be a scam, a fraud,” the businessman said, cited by Digi24.

Romania’s Liberal PM-designate, Siegfried Mureșan, said that Călin Georgescu “does not deserve people's support.” During an interview with RFI Romania, Mureșan described Georgescu as “pro-Russian” and “anti-European” and said that, if he has broken the law, he should be sanctioned as quickly as possible.

“Don't ask me to say that Călin Georgescu is a public figure whom we should feel sorry for. He is a pro-Russian, anti-European figure who wants disorder in Romania, not order. He is a political figure from whom I would stay away and who I believe does not deserve people's support. The fewer people he manages to deceive, the better it is for Romania,” he said.

Supporters of Călin Georgescu gathered outside the DIICOT headquarters, where he and other people are due to arrive for questioning. Authorities have installed protective barriers and deployed gendarmerie units in the area. One of Georgescu's supporters was carrying a telescopic baton, a blunt weapon, with the national flag attached to its tip, and the man was escorted by gendarmes to the other side of the road. Last week, Georgescu’s supporters joined shepherds and farmers and violently clashed with police during a protest in front of the government headquarters.