Bucharest – Romanian authorities have arrested former Social Democratic MPs for their alleged involvement in a real estate scandal that has fraud several Romanians, with the media that speculates that Prime Minister Marcel Ciocu and Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu may be involved.

The directorate for the investigation of organized crime and terrorism (Diicot) in Bucharest on Tuesday announced that it had ordered the detention of 11 people in the Nordis case and placed two defendants under legal monitoring. On Monday and Tuesday, police and prosecutors conducted more than 60 searches in places in Romania and Monaco.

Among the detained is the former Social Democrat MP Laura Vicol, who chaired the Legal Committee for the Chamber of Heads in the former legislature, and her husband, Vladimir Ciorbaf, the main shareholder in the Nordis group.

The two are accused of forming an organized criminal group that “designed and implemented a complex criminal mechanism involving marketing and development of real estate projects under the coverage of several commercial companies, followed by the collection of money from buyers and embezzlement of corporate funds,” according to a DIICOT -Aslain.

The group’s real estate companies designed a system where Nordis raised large sums of money in advance from people who paid in full for apartments but never got them.

The case also included hearings by Notary Andreea Cosma, a former PSD MP, and Ioana Brsescu, daughter of former President Traian Brsescu, who certified several promises to sell apartments.

The scandal could reach the top of PSD. G4Media revealed that Prime Minister Marcel Ciocu had flew on a private jet several times, with some flights allegedly paid by a company in the Nordis group.

The Prime Minister originally denied flying on private jet aircraft, but later admitted that he had referred to “an arrogance” by claiming to have paid for his own tickets.

Last month, Laura Vicol, who was left from PSD’s list of candidates for Parliament’s elections in December 2024 as a result of the scandal, acknowledged that she had moved on private jet aircraft with social democrat leader Marcel Ciocu.

She also said that her departure from PSD was not voluntary.

“I do not understand why this execution was carried out, and I am upset that the men in my party did not support me as they should have,” she said.

When asked if he had a friendly relationship with Vladimir Ciorbã and Laura Vicol, PSD president Ciocu replied: “I have not communicated with them for over two years.”

He also claimed that Vicol did not become head of the House of Deputies’ Legal Committee with his support.

Sorin Grindeanu, PSD’s first Deputy Chairman and Transport Minister, also flew with Ciocu and Laura Vicol. On Tuesday, Grindeanu said that the private jet flights were not paid by Nordis and that he would present invoices as evidence.

When asked by journalists if he had discussed the Nordis contract with Vicol and her husband, the Transport Minister replied: “No. I found out about these things while you did”.

(Catalina Mihai | EuCTiv.ro)