Romanian authorities arrested mercenary leader Horațiu Potra and nearly two dozen armed individuals for allegedly planning to disrupt public order in Bucharest amid the political turmoil caused by the annulment of Romania’s presidential elections.
Potra, a former French Foreign Legion fighter and leader of a mercenary group that operated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was stopped along with his associates in multiple vehicles en route to Bucharest.
Police searches uncovered weapons, including firearms, machetes, axes, swords, and pyrotechnic materials, along with large sums of cash in various currencies. Two drivers reportedly tested positive for illegal substances.
Horațiu Potra, the head of a Romanian mercenary group operating in Africa and a close associate of Călin Georgescu, has been arrested on suspicion of planning to use firearms, bladed weapons, and money to incite mass violence during pro-Georgescu public gatherings. pic.twitter.com/NJwTf4opFv
— Daractenus (@Daractenus) December 9, 2024
Local media, including Digi24, reported that the group, allegedly coordinated by Potra, planned intimidation operations targeting politicians, journalists, and protestors critical of far-right presidential candidate Călin Georgescu.
Potra, who openly supports Georgescu and has expressed pro-Russian sympathies, was taken to a police station for questioning. Romanian police confirmed charges related to the illegal possession of weapons and public incitement, which Potra’s lawyer claimed stemmed from a Facebook post made earlier in December.
The arrests occurred just days after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, citing evidence of Russian interference through undeclared campaign funding and social media manipulation favoring Georgescu. The far-right candidate, known for his nationalist rhetoric and skepticism of NATO and the European Union, was set to face reformist Elena Lasconi in the runoff election.
Potra, who has a history of legal issues, was previously convicted in 2011 for illegal weapons possession and linked to a cannabis operation on his farm in Mediaș. Since then, he has amassed significant wealth, declaring ownership of 75 plots of land, 30 properties, and 15 kilograms of gold bars valued at over 6 million lei.
Georgescu has denied any connection to Potra, stating he has never met him, while Romanian authorities continue to investigate the group’s motives and operations.
