Former Romanian presidential candidate under investigation over €1.1 million fraud scheme

Romanian prosecutors announced on Monday they were investigating Călin Georgescu, the pro-Russian candidate in the country’s annulled 2024 presidential election. The investigations concern an alleged €1.1 million fraud scheme.

The EU and NATO member state annulled its presidential election in December 2024 over suspected Russian interference in favor of Georgescu, a fierce critic of NATO, Brussels and Western support for Ukraine. Moscow denied the election-interference accusations.

The vote was re-run in May 2025 and was ultimately won by the pro-European centrist president Nicușor Dan.

Georgescu, who was barred from running again but remains popular, is already on trial in two separate cases — one on charges of attempting to undermine national security after the election annulment, the other for promoting Romania’s 1930s fascist leaders, which is illegal. He has denied all wrongdoing.

Prosecutors raided his home early on Monday and took him in for questioning in a separate investigation into suspected fraud and the formation of an organized crime group.

Prosecutors said Georgescu and two other suspects pushed a Romanian businessman from the central Buzău county to give them €1.1 million by making him believe they could help him secure a credit line of up to €15 million from a foreign financial institution.

Prosecutors have said several criminal investigations have uncovered a pattern of hybrid attacks against Romania aimed at influencing voters and weakening state institutions. The campaign included cyberattacks, public events and online disinformation linked to pro-Russian propaganda channels.