Romanian police on Sunday took mercenaries linked to far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu into questioning. Individuals were stopped as they were heading to the capital to stage protests and intimidate journalists and politicians after the presidential runoff were canceled, media reported.
Some 21 individuals were questioned included gang leader Horatiu Potra, who was part of the Foreign Legion, and his son. He was later detained for 24 hours. The individuals had lists of journalists, politicians who were critical of Georgescu who they were planning to target, police told Digi24.
“They wanted to intimidate” journalists and politicians, sources said.
Police said the group had booked hotel rooms in downtown Bucharest and were traveling to the capital from three different directions to avoid being detected by authorities who were already on to them.
Police officers were reportedly informed about the plan to intimidate unfriendly journalists and politicians and infiltrate protests and they stopped the individuals as they headed to the capital. They confiscated knives, axes, explosives and money.
They found a UMAREX HDR pistol, a tear gas canon, a firecracker type, an axe, eight knives and two knife blades, a stick and various European and African currencies on Potru,Adevarul reported.
Last week,investigative journalist Victor Ilie was threatened by a Georgescu supporter after he revealed that Russian money, paid for in seemingly benign advertisements, featuring homeopathic medicine and news about saints, which came to influence Romanians’ vote in recent presidential elections.
„Don’t you understand we know everything about all of you? Everything! Where you go,what you do, what you do, what you eat,” Bruno Mihăilescu, a supporter of Georgescu told Ilie according to a recording. Police are investigating Mihăilescu for making threats.
Mihăilescu is a colleague of television interviewer Mugurel Calistrat Atudorei of Global News, who has regularly invited Călin Georgescu on as a guest.
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