Local councillor from Slatina arrested after firing rifle at police attending search
Valeriu Matei, Liberal councillor from Slatina, was detained for 30 days after opening fire from a balcony on investigators. He was under investigation for loan sharking and extortion.
Local councillor from Slatina detained for 30 days after opening fire on investigators
A local councillor from Slatina has been remanded in custody for 30 days after allegedly firing a hunting rifle in the direction of police and gendarmes sent to search his home, according to europafm.ro. The Olt County Tribunal ordered the measure, with the man being investigated for outrage related to attempted qualified murder and unauthorised use of a firearm.
The incident occurred on the morning of 22 October 2026. When the investigators entered the courtyard, the councillor opened fire from the building's balcony with a legally owned weapon. No one was injured, but the door to a nearby garage and a car were damaged.
Valeriu Matei, aged 61, denied the charges. He told prosecutors that he had mistaken the investigators for thieves and that he had only intended to scare them. The judges at the Olt County Tribunal rejected this explanation and ordered his remand in custody. The decision is not final and may be appealed.
The search that triggered the incident is part of a loan sharking and extortion case. According to investigators, between November 2024 and October 2026, Matei allegedly provided loans with interest, and subsequently, together with another man — technical director of Olt Water Company — allegedly coerced a person to obtain material benefits. Both are under investigation in this case under judicial supervision.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)