Horațiu Potra's lawyers demand verification of fingerprints on arsenal found at mercenary's home
Horațiu Potra's defence team argues that he was unaware of the weapons found in his property. The trial in the Georgescu-Potra case has entered the judicial investigation phase.
Defence strategy for Potra: "We need to see who lived there"
At Wednesday's hearing in the case involving former presidential election candidate Călin Georgescu, mercenary Horațiu Potra and dozens of other persons being tried for an alleged coup d'état, the first defence strategies began to take shape, reports Gândul.
Horațiu Potra's lawyers have indicated their intention to demonstrate that he was unaware of the arsenal discovered by investigators at the property he owned — heavy weapons, assault rifles, sniper rifles and related ammunition.
"We need to see who lived there, because Mr Potra did not live there," his defence lawyers told the press, without specifying who may have used the property or whether it had been rented out.
When asked directly, one of Potra's lawyers elaborated: "Mr Potra knows who used the house, yes, but that does not mean he knew what was happening there."
Requests for evidence: ballistic expertise and fingerprint identification
The mercenary's defence team has requested the court to admit several pieces of evidence. These include a ballistic examination of the weapons, ammunition and explosive materials seized during searches, as well as the ordering of forensic expertise to establish whose fingerprints are found on each of the prohibited items discovered by investigators from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice — the Section for the Investigation of Crimes in the Justice System (PICCJ).
The lawyers also requested the questioning of 16 additional persons, some of them in connection with the subject matter of the evidence in the case.
Prosecutor's response
The prosecutor in the case rejected the defence's arguments before the judge. He argued that ballistic expertise is not necessary, as the records of findings made during the investigation are sufficient to clarify the nature of the materials detected.
"Carrying out expertise requires the opinions of an expert on the specialist's report of findings. The findings already clarify the nature of the materials detected," the prosecutor explained.
Regarding fingerprints, the prosecutor argued that a possible examination "is not relevant to the charges against which the defendants are being tried," noting that the type of weapons found does not absolve criminal liability for their illegal possession.
Moreover, the prosecutor also rejected the request for identification of the person who called 112, considering that questioning this person "will not change the actions taken at that time."
Georgescu: no new evidence to request
With regard to Călin Georgescu's defence, his lawyer stated on Wednesday that he has no new evidence to request beyond what already exists in the case file. The chosen strategy consists of contesting all witness statements and evidence gathered by PICCJ investigators.
Georgescu was referred to trial at the end of September 2025 for complicity in attempted actions against the constitutional order and the communication of false information. PICCJ investigators consider him the intellectual author of the entire plan to seize the levers of power through violent means.
The indictment describes Georgescu as the one who "crystallises the thesis" of a coordinated plan, with Potra carrying out his orders "faithfully and precisely," group members awaiting a signal transmitted through social networks and electronic messaging groups.
Substantive trial commences
The preliminary hearing phase concluded after the Bucharest Court of Appeal (CAB) established the validity of the indictment and the method of obtaining evidence, rejecting the exceptions raised — a decision subsequently upheld by the supreme court.
At Wednesday's hearing, CAB judges were to begin substantive proceedings by reading out the act referring the case to trial, after which each defendant will be asked whether they consider themselves guilty and whether they opt for the simplified procedure — with possible substantial sentence reduction — or the full procedure, in which the court re-administers all evidence and hears statements.
Who are the defendants
The case involves 22 persons, including Călin Georgescu — the candidate placed first in the first round of the 2024 presidential elections, subsequently annulled — Horațiu Potra and his son, both brought to the country after being apprehended in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Horațiu Potra is accused of attempted actions against the constitutional order, failure to comply with the weapons and ammunition regulations, failure to comply with explosives regulations, carrying out pyrotechnic operations without authorisation and public incitement. According to investigators, Georgescu exercised his right to silence during the investigation.
Source: Gândul