Călin Georgescu remanded in custody for 30 days

The request for the 30-day pre-trial detention of former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu and businessman Ionel Rusen-which had initially been rejected by the judge for rights and liberties at the Bucharest Tribunal-was granted yesterday by the judges of the Bucharest Court of Appeal. The court upheld the appeal filed by DIICOT against the ruling that had previously placed the two men under judicial control; this decision regarding the preventive measure is final, and Călin Georgescu was taken into pre-trial detention last night.

This measure was taken after DIICOT placed a judicial lien on Călin Georgescu's home as part of a criminal case in which he allegedly defrauded a businessman from Buzău County. Following the seizure, Georgescu's supporters launched a furious fundraising campaign on TikTok to save their idol's home.

As for the criminal case, it stems from financing that a businessman from Buzău, Răzvan Leu, was attempting to secure for a business venture. According to prosecutors, starting in September 2021, three individuals-two Romanian citizens (one of whom is Călin Georgescu) and an Italian citizen-allegedly acted in concert to convince businesspeople that they could facilitate loans from foreign financial institutions. The condition for this was the deposit of financial guarantees. Prosecutors are investigating Georgescu and Rusen for establishing an organized criminal group and for fraud with particularly serious consequences, committed as a continuing offense. In the case reported by Răzvan Leu, the promised financing was initially set at 6 million euros. Investigators allege that, to lend credibility to the operation, the victim was shown loan documentation and procedures, provided with payment account details, and informed of purported approvals. Meetings took place in Romania and the UK, where a loan agreement was allegedly signed. The businessman reportedly transferred over one million euros as a guarantee, but the loan never materialized. Subsequently, according to DIICOT, he was offered an increase in financing to 15 million euros in exchange for an additional guarantee of 100,000 euros. This financing also failed to materialize, and the sums paid were not returned. The financial loss cited by prosecutors exceeds 1.1 million euros. This is the scheme described by the prosecution and remains to be verified during judicial proceedings; the arrest order does not establish the defendants' guilt.

On September 21, DIICOT conducted five searches in Bucharest and the localities of Mogoşoaia, Ciolpani, and Buftea. Prosecutors announced the seizure of signal jamming equipment, data storage devices, and identity documents-two passports and an ID card-which are to undergo forensic examination due to suspicions that some may be forged. Călin Georgescu and Ionel Rusen were detained for 24 hours at the time. Three days later, investigators placed a protective seizure on the former candidate's home in Mogoşoaia as part of efforts to recover the alleged financial loss.

The Bucharest Tribunal had initially rejected DIICOT's request for pre-trial detention and placed the two men under judicial control. Prosecutors challenged the ruling, and the Bucharest Court of Appeal re-examined the preventive measure yesterday. As the first two judges failed to reach a consensus, the case was resolved by a panel with a casting vote, involving a third magistrate. The court ultimately ordered the pre-trial detention of both defendants.

On Monday, Călin Georgescu declared his innocence regarding all three criminal cases against him, claiming they were politically fabricated. It should be noted that the fraud case is still in the criminal investigation stage and, under the law, Georgescu and Rusen benefit from the presumption of innocence.