BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥� A far-right populist who won the first round in Romania鈥檚 canceled presidential race last year was stopped in traffic by police on Wednesday and taken in for questioning by prosecutors, his communication team said.
鈥淐alin Georgescu was about to submit his new candidacy for the Presidency,鈥� his team said in a post on Facebook. 鈥淗e was taken in for questioning at the General Prosecutor鈥檚 Office.鈥�
It isn鈥檛 yet clear why prosecutors have taken the 62-year-old Georgescu in for questioning, or whether he will be charged with anything. No details were immediately available.
The Constitutional Court made the just two days before a Dec. 8 runoff.
Georgescu 鈥� who was polling in single digits and declared zero campaign spending 鈥� surprised many when he on Nov. 24, after which allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged.
T of Bucharest on Saturday in a show of support for Georgescu, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and argued the election was 鈥渃anceled illegally and unconstitutionally.鈥�
New dates have been set to rerun the vote with the first round scheduled for May 4. If no candidate obtains more than 50% of the ballot, a runoff would be held two weeks later on May 18. It wasn鈥檛 yet clear whether Georgescu will be able to participate in the new election.
The Associated Press
