Supreme Court rules indictment in Georgescu-Potra case is lawful
Romania's supreme court has determined that the accusation filed by prosecutors against Călin Georgescu and Horațiu Potra complies with legal requirements, clearing the way for the substantive trial of allegations of attempted undermining of constitutional order.
Supreme Court rules indictment in Georgescu-Potra case is lawful
Romania's supreme court has validated the accusation formulated by prosecutors in a case involving serious allegations of attempted undermining of state order, thereby permitting the case to proceed to the substantive phase, according to Digi24.ro.
Călin Georgescu is accused of supporting an attempted action against constitutional order and of spreading false information. Horațiu Potra, the mercenary with whom he collaborated, is charged with attempted action against constitutional order, violation of regulations concerning the possession of weapons and ammunition, non-compliance with rules concerning explosive materials, and unauthorised use of pyrotechnic articles.
The investigation was initiated after Potra and members of his group were intercepted in traffic in December of last year whilst travelling towards the capital. Prosecutors claim that individuals in Potra's entourage were in possession of high-power pyrotechnic materials and a substantial quantity of dangerous objects.
Investigators assert that on 7 December 2024, at a property with equestrian facilities in Ilfov county, Georgescu and Potra allegedly plotted to hijack a demonstration in support of a former presidential candidate. Present at the meeting were Potra, Georgescu, Sechilă and Marian Burcea, who provided personal security for Georgescu.
Following this meeting, Georgescu allegedly contacted Dan Grăjeanu, leader of the Orthodox Brotherhood group, and informed him that on the following day he would launch a concrete message: "life or country".
Prosecutors assess that the meeting in Ilfov, organised under Georgescu's coordination, represented preparation for actions intended to destabilise the situation and generate chaos and insecurity. Georgescu allegedly requested the organisation of a public gathering on 8 December 2024 in the vicinity of the Cathedral of National Salvation, with participants to be used as "manoeuvring force for the realisation of subversive actions".
The demonstration was to be hijacked through the use of violence. Potra had undertaken the mobilisation of a number of persons, including armed individuals. In addition to Georgescu and Potra, 20 other persons are being referred to justice.
The investigation further shows that Potra's men were supposed to induce a state of panic during the public gathering, whilst Georgescu's supporters were to request the resumption of the second round of the presidential election. Prosecutors characterised the entire undertaking as a "paramilitary operation for national destabilisation".
According to sources from judicial circles cited by Digi24.ro, the detonation of pyrotechnic materials in the midst of a crowd can cause catastrophic consequences, unforeseen even by those involved in the action. Any collective tragedy, typically with multiple victims, entails a certain type of panic and disorganisation.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal had already established at the beginning of April that the accusation complied with the law, however the decision was contested. The case was registered at the supreme court also in April, and the date of 19 June marked the third adjournment of a ruling.
Source: Digi24