Bucharest’s Court of Appeal was evacuated on Tuesday morning following a bomb threat.
Bucharest police said emergency authorities alerted the court after receiving a call from a man at 10.40 am.
The call came during the final hearing in a trial of former tourism minister Elena Udrea who is charged with money laundering and bribery.
It was unclear whether the former minister was in the building, or whether there was any connection between the threat and the hearing. She denies wrongdoing.
Explosive experts arrived at the scene and are searching the building, police said.
The proceedings were suspended and will resume at 14.00 pending no further incidents, the court said.
Ms Udrea, a close ally of ex-President Traian Basescu, was one of the most powerful po figures in Romanian politics due to her personal relationship with Mr Basescu who was Romania’s leader for 10 years.
She was sent to trial in 2017 on charges of bribery and money laundering in connection with his 2009 presidential campaign. Tuesday’s hearing is the final one, before the verdict.
Prosecutors said the former minister was the unofficial chief of Mr. Basescu’s campaign, which they allege was financed with money obtained through embezzlement and money laundering. She denies the charges.
The hearing which was due to to be held on January 8 was postponed after Ms Udrea said she had Covid-19.
