Horațiu Potra has sent a message through his lawyer, Șerban Moga, stating that he wants to voluntarily return to the country to prove his innocence.
"I am not hiding and I have no reason to hide. I miss my family and I want to be able to look the world in the eye, knowing that I have chosen the truth, not fear," transmitted Horațiu Potra.
It is worth mentioning that Potra, along with Călin Georgescu, was indicted for attempted coup. Potra was arrested in Dubai a month ago, along with his son and nephew, all being tried in this case.
Șerban Moga stated on Thursday at Antena3 that "there was a discussion at the level of the prosecution in the United Arab Emirates this morning, some documents were signed in this regard, and they are expected to come to the country."
When asked when Potra will arrive in the country, Moga replied that "it won't take long": "It's a matter of a few days or weeks."
Potra's lawyers have communicated that he (along with his son and nephew) have made the decision "to return voluntarily" to Romania and "to surrender to the authorities, to be judged before the Romanian courts."
"This decision is not imposed, but an assumed gesture of dignity and courage, by people who want to prove their innocence openly, before the Romanian justice. Although they had real and considerable chances to avoid extradition from the United Arab Emirates, the Potra family chose the hardest but also the most honest path: to return home, to face the accusations, and to clear their name.
He is willing to come to the country and seek justice. He trusts the justice system, believes that the process will have a fair outcome, that he will manage to prove his innocence in this situation, and of course, he will comply with the procedures. He would have had the right to participate in an extradition process, to decide if the accusation is political or not, if his rights were respected in Romania, but he prefers to go through the judicial procedures in the country," the lawyers communicated.
The Minister of Justice knows nothing...
However, the Ministry of Justice has no information that mercenary Horațiu Potra is expected to be extradited today from Dubai and brought to Romania, stated Minister Radu Marinescu at Digi24.
Furthermore, he adds that the procedures could take several months.
"We have no information that Horațiu Potra is expected to arrive in Romania today. The information we have has been presented to the public, and it indicates that the three individuals sought by the Romanian authorities are detained and are to be presented to the court for the procedural and substantive stages of extradition.
What I can tell you, however, is that so far we have had very good cooperation with the authorities in the United Arab Emirates. We have presented all substantive and procedural aspects related to our extradition request. We are aware that a procedure is being followed, as it is specific to extradition, and we are waiting to see what the authorities in the Emirates will decide," Marinescu said.
Subsequently, Minister of Justice Radu Marinescu stated that if the information transmitted by the lawyers is confirmed, according to which Horațiu Potra does not oppose extradition and agrees to be handed over to the Romanian authorities, then the procedures regarding the duration are shortened.
Marinescu added that if the decision is made to send him to Romania, then the police officers will go to Dubai and bring him to the country.
"As I mentioned earlier today, we have no knowledge that Horațiu Potra is coming today. We are aware and have informed the public that Mr. Horațiu Potra and those associated with him, internationally sought by Romania, are detained, and the extradition procedures are ongoing.
If the information is confirmed that through his lawyers he has stated that he does not oppose extradition and agrees to be handed over to Romania, this means that the procedures are shortened in terms of duration, because it is no longer necessary for a judge to examine a potential opposition to extradition, and thus Mr. Potra and those with him are expected to be brought to Romania more quickly. This would be the consequence of their compliance with Romania's extradition request," stated Radu Marinescu on Antena 3.
...it seems the Russians know
The statements of the Minister of Justice, who says he has no information about Potra's arrival in Romania, come after sources involved in the case of the mercenary arrested in Dubai stated to The Guardian that individuals close to the Kremlin are trying to prevent the extradition of Horațiu Potra from the United Arab Emirates to Romania.
However, it seems they have no chance, and Potra could be sent back to Romania "at the earliest on Thursday," the source cited yesterday.
According to the British publication, efforts to stop the extradition were coordinated by Igor Spivak, the head of the Russian Middle East Society, a structure with direct links to the Russian Foreign Ministry, and Igor Kalinin, a Moldovan fugitive close to Moscow, on the EU and US sanctions lists for destabilizing activities in Moldova.
"We are currently trying to stop Potra's extradition. We have a lot of experience, and many people are working to free him," said Spivak in a phone interview with The Guardian, stating that he has hired a team of "highly respected" lawyers in the United Arab Emirates and intends to fly personally to Dubai.
Career and Connections of Horațiu Potra
Potra, a controversial figure, served in the French Foreign Legion before becoming a bodyguard for leaders in the Middle East, including the Emir of Qatar.
Later, he founded private military companies that deployed fighters in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Approximately 300 of these mercenaries were captured earlier this year in Congo by the M23 group before being released.
In Romania, Potra's name surfaced with the rise of nationalist politician Călin Georgescu, considered pro-Russian. According to prosecutors' files, the two discussed a plan of violent action after the annulment of the results of last year's presidential elections' first round, citing Russian interference.
Shortly after those events, Potra and several associates were temporarily detained in Romania, and investigators found weapons and large sums of money at their homes.
Potra is also accused of tax evasion for the income obtained from Africa and for illegally financing Georgescu's campaign, including by paying for the luxury car rental for the candidate.
Russian Connections and Desperate Attempts
Although Potra denies any connections with Russia, photographs and documents from the prosecutors' file show him at events at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest and on repeated visits to Moscow.
In a text message from August 2024, Georgescu wrote to Potra: "The elections are on November 24. Please, I need support until then."
According to The Guardian, Russian authorities reportedly "greenlit" Spivak and Kalinin's intervention to rescue the mercenary, but sources close to the case state that the attempt to block the extradition is likely to fail.
"The situation is difficult," said Spivak, adding that Potra could be sent back to Romania "at the earliest on Thursday."