Georgescu stays in pretrial detention as house-arrest ruling faces appeal
Călin Georgescu says he remains in pretrial detention because a Bucharest Tribunal house-arrest ruling is not final. Prosecutors' challenge is now pending before the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which has yet to set a hearing date.
A ruling that is not yet final
Călin Georgescu, the former presidential candidate, posted a message on Facebook on Friday, 16 October 2026, explaining why he remains in pretrial detention even though the Bucharest Tribunal ordered house arrest in his place. The tribunal decided on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, through judge Vlad Andriescu, the same judge who earlier ordered judicial control when DIICOT first asked for his detention. Georgescu wrote that the ruling can be challenged by prosecutors within 48 hours and that this window closed on Thursday, 15 October. He stressed that the decision does not free him immediately.
This decision is not final.
- Georgescu placed in pretrial detention at the Bucharest Central Arrest
- Bucharest Tribunal replaces detention with house arrest in a ruling that is not final
- The 48-hour window for prosecutors to challenge the ruling expires
- Georgescu publishes a message on Facebook; former Interior Ministry officer attends DIICOT device searches
What happens next
Georgescu said the next step is for the tribunal judge to draft the reasoned ruling. The file will then go to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which he described as the court that will decide the challenge and issue a final ruling. Judges there have yet to set a date for hearing the challenge filed by DIICOT. Georgescu has been held at the Bucharest Central Arrest since 29 September, and the detention stays in force until the appeal court rules.
The challenge has already been filed.
Whether he goes home under house arrest or remains in custody depends on that appeal outcome. Georgescu closed his message by thanking supporters for their care, support, patience and discernment.
The fraud allegations
Prosecutors accuse Georgescu of fraud with particularly serious consequences and of forming an organised criminal group. According to investigators, Georgescu, a businessman and an Italian citizen formed that group in 2021 to obtain money illegally. They allegedly persuaded a businessman from Buzău to hand over more than 1.1 million euros as a guarantee for bank financing that never materialised. The deal reportedly required a 6 million euro credit line, and the victim was first asked for a 1 million euro guarantee. Prosecutors say 100,000 euros of that sum was to finance Georgescu's presidential campaign, and a spending plan was presented for that amount. The businessman was then persuaded to transfer another 100,000 euros, on the promise that the loan could rise to 15 million euros. The loan never went through, and he has not recovered his money. DIICOT also placed seizures on bank accounts and on Georgescu's villa in Mogoșoaia. Georgescu is presumed innocent.
A witness at DIICOT
On Friday, 16 October, a former Interior Ministry officer went to DIICOT headquarters to attend IT searches on devices seized from him. Judicial sources say he holds the status of witness in the case. According to the reporting, he is the person who introduced Georgescu to the Buzău businessman. Digi24 reports that he left in less than half an hour and did not want to attend the searches. Prosecutors will analyse all data on the devices, focusing on conversations between Georgescu and him, to establish whether all the accusations hold.