Romanian prosecutors seize Călin Georgescu’s villa in EUR 1.1 mln fraud case

Romania’s organized crime (DIICOT) prosecutors have placed a precautionary seizure on a villa belonging to former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu in Mogoșoaia, Ilfov county. The measure was ordered in a fraud case involving estimated losses of more than EUR 1.1 million.

The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism announced that it imposed the measure on September 24 against a property owned by a 64-year-old defendant investigated for allegedly forming an organized crime group and committing continued fraud with particularly serious consequences.

According to News.ro, the defendant is Cǎlin Georgescu, who was initially detained for 24 hours and subsequently placed under judicial supervision in this case. He can challenge the prosecutors’ seizure order.

The property could be used to recover the alleged EUR 1.1 million loss if Georgescu is convicted by a final court ruling, Digi24 noted.

The prosecutors allege that members of the group began misleading the victim at meetings in Romania in September 2021 and later continued the operation in the United Kingdom.

The suspects allegedly claimed that they could secure a EUR 6 million bank loan for the victim if a guarantee was deposited. The victim subsequently transferred more than EUR 1 million, prosecutors said.

The group then allegedly promised to increase the loan to EUR 15 million in exchange for an additional guarantee, prompting the victim to transfer another EUR 100,000. DIICOT said the total loss exceeded EUR 1.1 million.

The investigation is the third criminal case involving Cǎlin Georgescu. In the other two, he faces charges related to alleged attempts to undermine the constitutional order and the promotion of fascist or legionary propaganda.

Cǎlin Georgescu was the surprise first-place finisher in the first round of Romania’s 2024 presidential election, which was