The Romanian Prosecutor General's Office is in possession of evidence of a plot organised by former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu and a group of former French Foreign Legion fighters coordinated by his bodyguard Horațiu Potra, according to information leaked to the Romanian media. 

The implied final goal of the plot was to take control of state institutions. Immediately after the annulment of the 2024 presidential elections on December 6, the group led by Potra was planning to “infiltrate peaceful protests and trigger chaos through violent actions”, according to Digi24 TV station.

Following searches at Potra’s home revealing possession of illegal weapons on February 26, prosecutors requested and the High Court admitted his preventive arrest, in absentia. Potra is currently in Dubai, his 18-year-old son and another relative, HotNews reported on March 1. 

Another 16 of the 18 people searched by prosecutors on February 26 were placed under preventive custody, with the other two placed under home arrest.

During a search at his home, the police found large amounts of lethal weapons, ammunition and cash. Potra admitted he broke the law by holding the weapons and ammunition but claimed the money was earned legally.

According to Digi24, investigators showed that at a meeting on December 7 held at a stud farm near Bucharest, the foundations of a "well-structured" plan were laid, that "strategic, meticulously planned decisions" were made and began to be implemented immediately after the meeting. The plan involved the use of violence.

The military capabilities of the mercenaries and the close ties between Georgescu and the mercenaries are described in great detail. The mercenaries are understood to be still active under contracts with African states. 

No detail is provided about the later stages of the plan that would have followed after the “chaos” was generated.

The information leaked by prosecutors to DigiTV leads to the conclusion that Georgescu and his paramilitary group were preparing a coup d’etat. 

The "paramilitary operation", as described by those investigating the December 7 meeting between Georgescu and Potra, was supposed to take place on December 8. However, Potra's group was intercepted as it was moving towards Bucharest.

A similar scenario is mentioned in another piece of evidence – a discussion held over the phone by Georgescu with Marian Motocu, who has already been charged with controlling a far-right organisation that aims to propagate far-right ideologies and recruit new members to commit violence against Jews, politicians, political parties and foreigners. 

The conversation between Motocu and Georgescu, found by prosecutors in the former’s phone during investigations and previously leaked to media, dates from September 2024. It indicates that the two were planning actions aimed at taking control of state institutions in January 2025 — after Georgescu would have won the presidential election if it had not been cancelled.