Romania’s general prosecutor points to early connections between Russia and Horațiu Potra, Călin Georgescu

Former independent presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, who came in first place in the 2024 canceled presidential elections, had ties to Moscow through fugitive mercenary Horațiu Potra, according to Romania’s general prosecutor Alex Florența.

Connections between the two were established early on, in the fall of 2021. They were consolidated in April 2022, when Georgescu turned to the leader of the mercenary group for support for the upcoming presidential elections.

Alex Florența also said that Horațiu Potra traveled to Moscow in the fall of 2023 and in September 2024, according to G4Media.

The Romanian mercenaries that Potra led, who were stopped early on by police from inciting protests, even attempted to establish contacts in the breakaway Russian-majority Moldovan region of Transnistria to acquire weapons. Transnistria hosts what is believed to be Eastern Europe’s largest ammunition depot, a relic of the Cold War secured by some 1,500 Russian troops.

Potra’s trips to Moscow and his documented connections to Russia were, therefore, capable of leading to a serious threat.

After the failed attempt to stoke violent protests, Potra’s men became Georgescu’s security detail.

“The mercenaries were used on all levels. There are also cars that were handed over at that time for the use of the independent candidate, cars paid for by the mercenaries. There are several such elements. […] The whole mercenary part around him is made up of former fighters in the Foreign Legion and many of them in mercenary actions in Congo, being employed by the companies led by Potra,” said Alex Florența.

Potra, who allegedly represents the link between Georgescu and Moscow according to prosecutors, had his home searched by prosecutors several times. Investigators seized phones, laptops, and computers and used them to uncover his plans.

Călin Georgescu, who surprisingly emerged as the winner of the first round of last year’s presidential elections, was sent to trial