The Bucharest Court of Appeal has handed down an unexpected ruling that has radically altered the course of a high-profile case: Kelin Georgescu, a former Romanian presidential candidate, has been remanded in custody. He had previously been under judicial supervision, but will now have to spend 30 days in pre-trial detention. During the same period, businessman Ionel Rousen, who is believed to be his accomplice, was also remanded in custody. This court ruling is final and cannot be appealed.
Kelín Georgescu, now 64, first made the headlines not only as a politician but also as a defendant in a major criminal case. In September 2023, he was arrested during a large-scale operation carried out by the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) in conjunction with the police. As part of the investigation, searches were carried out in several areas, including Mogoșoa, Ciolpan and the capital, Bucharest.
According to the investigation, Georgescu and his accomplices, including an Italian national, misled a number of businesspeople by promising them substantial foreign loans. One of the victims was defrauded of more than one million euros and was subsequently persuaded that the loan amount could rise to 15 million euros if he provided additional collateral. As a result, the trusting businessman lost a further 100,000 euros, but never received the promised loan.
In addition to the fraud charges, the investigation raised the possibility that Georgescu had received substantial sums from Russian citizens, which added an international dimension to the case. In the wake of these events, a scandal erupted surrounding his arrest, sparking a wave of protests by his supporters, who gathered outside the DIICOT building in a show of support for the politician.
Georgescu, whose name became known to the general public in November 2024 when he won the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, had already been at the centre of political upheaval. At that time, the elections were annulled due to suspicions of Russian interference, and Georgescu was barred from standing in the new elections.
Despite his past recognition and political career, Georgescu now risks being sidelined from public life. In May 2025, he announced his retirement from politics, but this time his path to freedom and rehabilitation may prove far more complicated and fraught with difficulties.