How Judge Diana Costea justified releasing Călin Georgescu from custody

Judge Diana Nicoleta Costea of the Bucharest Tribunal gave the reasons for the decision to release Călin Georgescu from pre-trial detention and place him under house arrest. The judge found that, to date, there is no evidence that the money from the alleged €1.1 million fraud reached the former presidential candidate directly or through intermediaries.

In the case, Georgescu is accused, alongside Ionel Rusen and Italian national Arena Massimiliano, of defrauding Real Concrete LTD, represented by businessman Răzvan Leu. According to information provided by the Swiss authorities, sums of money were transferred to Arena Massimiliano, Ionel Rusen and his wife, Eliza Patricia Ecobici.

However, the judge noted that Georgescu paid Răzvan Leu 118,000 lei through his father-in-law, while Rusen transferred 900,000 lei, marked as a “gift.” The judge considered that the loss had been partially recovered and could continue to be recovered through the assets placed under seizure.

After at least 42 days in pre-trial detention, the court determined that house arrest was sufficient to ensure the proper conduct of the investigation. Georgescu will wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. DIICOT has challenged the decision, and the Bucharest Court of Appeal is to set a date for hearing the appeal.