Romanian authorities have detained former Social Democrat MPs in a massive property fraud scandal, further exposing the corruption at the heart of the establishment. Speculation is swirling that Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu may be entangled in the scheme.
On Tuesday, Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) announced the arrest of 11 individuals in the Nordis case, with two others placed under judicial supervision. Authorities carried out over 60 raids in Romania and Monaco as part of the investigation.
Among those detained is former PSD MP Laura Vicol, a key player in the legal affairs committee of the Chamber of Deputies, along with her husband, Vladimir Ciorbă, the main shareholder in Nordis. They are accused of running an organized criminal group that promoted real estate projects under false pretenses, collecting large sums from buyers who never received the properties they paid for.
The scandal reaches deep into Romania’s political elite. G4Media revealed that Prime Minister Ciolacu had taken multiple private jet flights, with some allegedly funded by a Nordis-linked company. Initially denying any such travel, Ciolacu later admitted to indulging in “an arrogance,” claiming he personally covered the costs.
Laura Vicol, sidelined from the PSD’s candidate list for the 2024 parliamentary elections, acknowledged flying on private jets with Ciolacu but insisted she was forced out of the party.
“I don’t 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.
Meanwhile, PSD President Ciolacu tried to distance himself, claiming he hadn’t spoken with Vicol or her husband in over two years. He also denied any role in her appointment as head of the Chamber of Deputies’ Legal Committee.
Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu, another key PSD figure, was also linked to the scandal, having flown with Ciolacu and Vicol. He insisted Nordis didn’t foot the bill for these flights and promised to produce invoices as proof. When pressed on whether he ever discussed Nordis contracts with Vicol and her husband, he simply said: “No. I found out about these things at the same time as you did.”
This scandal is just another example of the rot within Romania’s ruling class—an elite that clings to power while looting the nation. The establishment may try to sweep this under the rug, but Romanians won’t be fooled.
