PSD leader demands army chief resign after corruption indictment, as general and rector push back

Political pressure mounts

Sorin Grindeanu, the president of Romania's Social Democratic Party (PSD), has publicly demanded that General Vlad Gheorghiță resign as chief of the Defence Staff. Grindeanu described stepping down as "the natural gesture" for a soldier in Gheorghiță's position, arguing that any suspicion surrounding his professional conduct represents a vulnerability for the Romanian Army. The call, posted on Facebook, comes one day after anti-corruption prosecutors informed the general he is a suspect in a criminal case.

Any shadow of doubt over his professional conduct is a vulnerability for the Romanian Army. At this moment, Romania cannot afford such uncertainties at the top of its defence structures.

The corruption allegations

On 2 June 2026, military prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) formally notified General Vlad Gheorghiță that he is a suspect for complicity in usurpation of office, if the public official obtained an undue benefit for himself or another. The case centres on events in July 2025, when Gheorghiță allegedly facilitated the issuance and signing of a request to the Ministry of Education and Research by Lieutenant General Iulian Berdilă, his deputy for operations and instruction. The request sought 20 additional state-funded places at the National University of Physical Education and Sport (UNEFS) in Bucharest, exceeding legal authority, according to prosecutors. The DNA states that the request should have been the exclusive remit of the Defence Ministry's Directorate General for Human Resources Management. Two of the 20 places were reportedly occupied by the children of other generals, with the ultimate aim of later employing them as officers in the Ministry of National Defence.

The general's defence

General Gheorghiță was questioned by DNA prosecutors for two hours on 2 June. He made no comment to cameras upon leaving. Six hours later, he posted a statement on Facebook rejecting the accusations. "I categorically reject the accusations brought against me and state unequivocally that I have committed no act of corruption and had no involvement, direct or indirect, in activities that could constitute complicity in such acts," he wrote. He added that he would support the prosecutors' investigation while defending his and the army's reputation. His deputy, Lieutenant General Iulian Berdilă, also issued a statement on the evening of 2 June, rejecting any insinuation of illicit activity and describing the situation as "a context of circumstances in which I had no involvement."

The rector's counter-narrative

Marius Stoica, the rector of UNEFS, has contradicted the prosecution's narrative. He stated that he personally requested the additional state-funded places due to an unexpectedly high number of candidates (589 applicants for 168 places) and that the request followed legal procedures with the approval of the university's administrative council. The Ministry of Education approved 20 additional places. Stoica said two of those places happened to go to candidates linked to the Defence Ministry, but that he has never spoken to General Gheorghiță. "I have never spoken to this gentleman general," Stoica said.

I made this additional request right during the session when, after the first practical test, we had 589 candidates for 168 places. Nobody expected that at our university, for this programme, there would be so many candidates.

Broader context and criticism

The indictment arrives at a tense moment for Romania's Defence Ministry. Last week, a Russian drone struck a residential building in Galați, injuring two people. Simultaneously, the army has signed contracts worth €8 billion through the SAFE programme, some of which are heavily contested by military analysts. Commentator Cristian Tudor Popescu issued a sharp critique of General Gheorghiță's written statement, in which the general suggested the timing of the case was not coincidental given the current military context. Popescu compared the defence to the rhetoric of corrupt politicians, calling it "a message fit for a thug or a politician, but in no way for the head of the army." General Gheorghiță was appointed by President Klaus Iohannis in 2023 and his term expires next year. On 3 June, DNA continued hearings, summoning the daughter of a general and other witnesses.