A major real estate scandal rocked Romania’s ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), with former MPs and high-ranking officials facing allegations of fraud and corruption, according to Euractiv.
The Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) announced on Tuesday the detention of 11 individuals, including former PSD MP Laura Vicol and her husband, Vladimir Ciorbă, the main shareholder of the Nordis group.
The scandal centres on a scheme in which Nordis collected advance payments for apartments that were never delivered, defrauding numerous buyers. According to DIICOT, the group “designed and implemented a complex criminal mechanism involving the promotion and development of real estate projects under the cover of several commercial companies, followed by the collection of money from buyers and the embezzlement of company funds.”
The scandal ensnared prominent figures, including notary Andreea Cosma, a former PSD MP, and Ioana Băsescu, daughter of ex-President Traian Băsescu, who certified several property sale agreements. Media reports suggest that Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu may also be implicated.
Ciolacu initially denied using private jets funded by Nordis but later admitted to “an arrogance” in claiming to have paid for his own tickets. Laura Vicol, who was removed from the PSD’s candidate list for the December 2024 elections, revealed that she had flown on private jets with Ciolacu and Grindeanu, adding that her resignation from the party was not voluntary.
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.
Grindeanu, meanwhile, insisted that the private jet flights were not funded by Nordis and promised to provide invoices as proof. When asked if he had discussed Nordis contracts with Vicol and her husband, he replied, “No. I found out about these things at the same time as you did.”
The scandal threatens to destabilise the PSD, which has long been a dominant force in Romanian politics. With investigations ongoing and public trust eroding, the party faces mounting pressure to address the allegations and restore credibility.