Former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu and Horațiu Potra face trial for alleged constitutional offenses

A panel of the Bucharest Court of Appeal is set to try Călin Georgescu, former presidential hopeful, Horațiu Potra, his son Dorian and nephew Alexandru, together with eighteen additional suspects for alleged attempts to breach the constitutional order. The case survived multiple appeals by both the accused and the Public Ministry, with the Supreme Court ultimately dismissing those challenges. Initial hearings were delayed at the request of the defence, and Potra’s preventive measures have been altered several times, moving from detention to house arrest and finally to judicial supervision.

Investigators’ February raids uncovered large sums of cash—initially reported as hundreds of thousands of dollars, later clarified as over three million dollars—and more than twenty kilograms of gold, as well as weapons and explosives. Prosecutors argue the defendants’ conduct endangered the constitutional framework and societal values that safeguard state power.