Traian Băsescu criticizes the “spectacle” surrounding Călin Georgescu’s arrest: “He is not the kind of person who would attack someone”

Former President Traian Băsescu criticized on Tuesday evening, on TVR 1, the way authorities presented Călin Georgescu’s pretrial detention, saying that the images and documents made public create “a spectacle” and put pressure on judges and the accused.

On the program “Dezacorduri de pace,” Băsescu said that the actions of the Romanian state in Georgescu’s case are correct, but argued that the public presentation of documents from the case file was not justified. “What is not right is the spectacle and taking documents from the case file and giving them to the press,” the former president said.

Commenting on images showing the former presidential candidate in handcuffs, Băsescu argued that the measure was disproportionate for a person whom he said does not appear to be a violent offender. “He is not the kind of person who would attack someone. Why do you have to put handcuffs on white-collar criminals?” he said.

Călin Georgescu was placed in pretrial detention on Tuesday in a fraud case involving damages of 1.1 million euros. The Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned the first-instance court’s decision, which had ordered his placement under judicial supervision. The ruling was issued by a panel formed to resolve a disagreement, after the two judges had differing opinions.