Romanian prosecutors indict former presidential frontrunner on fraud charges

BUCHAREST, Nov 12 - Romanian prosecutors said on Thursday they had indicted Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian former frontrunner in the country's 2024 canceled presidential election, on charges of orchestrating a €1.1 million ($1.2 million) fraud scheme.Prosecutors said Georgescu managed an organized crime group that prompted a Romanian businessman to give them €1.1 million by making him believe they could help him get a credit line of up to €15 million from a foreign financial institution.Georgescu has been in pretrial detention since late September. In posts on Georgescu's Facebook account, his wife, Cristela Georgescu, denied the charges and said they were politically motivated.Romania canceled its presidential election in December 2024 on account of suspected Russian interference in favour of Georgescu, a strong critic of NATO, Brussels and Western support for Ukraine. Moscow denied the accusations of meddling in the election.The ballot was re-run in May 2025, and pro-European Nicusor Dan won it to become president.Georgescu, who was banned from running again but remains popular, is already on trial in two separate cases, one on charges of attempting to disrupt national security after the election was canceled, the other on charges of promoting Romania's 1930s fascist leaders, which is illegal. He has denied wrongdoing in both cases. REUTERS