Prosecutors send a priest from Bihor to trial, accused of staging the burning of a car in order to report persecution

A priest from Bihor and two alleged accomplices have been indicted by prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Bihor Tribunal after allegedly deliberately setting a car on fire to claim he was the victim of political and religious persecution. The car belonged to a company managed by the priest’s wife. The priest was in conflict with the Orthodox Diocese of Oradea.

The incident allegedly took place during the night of February 4–5, 2025, in a parking area on DN 76, at the exit from Drăgănești toward Ștei. According to investigators, one of the defendants allegedly poured approximately 15 liters of gasoline into the car’s passenger compartment and started the fire, while the other two allegedly provided logistical support and helped conceal the evidence.

Prosecutors claim that the fire was premeditated and subsequently used to exert pressure on church and judicial authorities. The priest is also accused of incitement to intellectual forgery, after allegedly obtaining a medical certificate based on a false diagnosis, use of forged documents, and disclosing non-public information by publishing witness statements on Facebook.

The case has been referred to the Bihor Tribunal for trial. The accusations will be examined in court.