Bucharest Court of Appeal to decide Călin Georgescu's arrest status next week
Bucharest Tribunal admitted replacing Călin Georgescu's preventive arrest with house arrest, but the DIICOT prosecution appealed the decision. Georgescu remains in police custody for now.
Judge admits house arrest, DIICOT appeals
The Bucharest Court of Appeal will decide next week whether Călin Georgescu will remain in preventive arrest or be transferred to house arrest, according to ProTV News. Until that decision, the former presidential candidate remains in police custody, accused of fraud with an estimated loss of 1.2 million euros.
The judge for rights and liberties at Bucharest Tribunal admitted the request to replace the preventive measure, reasoning that there is evidence supporting reasonable suspicion that Georgescu committed the fraud offences for which he was arrested. The magistrate also emphasised that the former candidate did not attempt to flee the country after restrictions were lifted in the other cases and did not attempt to evade criminal proceedings.
"Although deprivation of liberty is necessary to eliminate a state of danger to public order, the preventive arrest measure no longer appears to be proportionate with the gravity of the accusations, the house arrest measure being sufficient for the proper conduct of criminal proceedings, elimination of any possible risk of evasion and prevention of the commission of other offences," the Bucharest Tribunal's ruling stated.
DIICOT prosecutors immediately appealed this decision, arguing that Georgescu should remain in preventive arrest. The reasoning and full case file were sent to the Bucharest Court of Appeal for adjudication of the appeal.
Telephone of key witness searched by DIICOT
In parallel, DIICOT investigators searched the telephone of Ion Negoescu, a witness and central figure in the fraud case. Negoescu has an unusual professional background: a former police officer, then head for a few months of the surveillance service within DIPI, and subsequently a priest.
According to investigators, Negoescu is the one who introduced Călin Georgescu to businessman Răzvan Leu. The latter complained that he lost 1.1 million euros in a business venture proposed by Georgescu together with an accomplice.
ProTV's correspondent reported that Negoescu initially refused to participate in the digital search of the telephone seized by investigators, returning after a few hours only to sign the minutes.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal will decide Călin Georgescu's situation in the course of next week.
Source: Știrile ProTV