Bucharest mayoral candidate Ciprian Ciucu, currently serving as the mayor of Sector 6, is facing allegations of misrepresenting his role in a probe involving fraudulently obtained Romanian identity documents. The public prosecutor’s office has accused Ciucu of falsely claiming he initiated the examination into a network allegedly used by hundreds of russian citizens to illegally acquire Romanian papers [[2]]. The dispute comes as ciucu campaigns for the Bucharest mayoral office and amid heightened scrutiny of potential foreign interference.
Ciprian Ciucu, at a meeting of the PNL National Council at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest on September 15, 2024. Inquam Photos / George Călin
Romania’s public prosecutor’s office has accused Ciprian Ciucu, the mayor of Sector 6 and the PNL candidate for Mayor of Bucharest, of falsely claiming he initiated the dismantling of a network involved in trafficking fraudulent identity documents.
The allegations come after a source within the Border Police told G4Media.ro that approximately 300 Russian citizens recently obtained Romanian identity documents illegally, prompting a large-scale investigation by the public prosecutor’s office. The portal of court instances also shows that the Sector 6 Local Directorate for the Registration of Persons requested judges to annul Romanian birth certificates issued to dozens of Russian citizens who had submitted false identity documents this year.
Without explicitly naming Ciucu, the public prosecutor’s office stated that “the mayor of a sector in Bucharest published on his Facebook account untrue information regarding a criminal case investigated by the PÎCCJ, concerning the dismantling of a criminal network involved in trafficking false identity documents.”
“The individual in question falsely informed the public that he was the initiator of the dismantling of this network. For accurate information to the public, we clarify that several criminal cases have been opened within our institution since 2024 concerning the trafficking of false identity documents. Some of these cases have been closed with indictments or plea agreements, while others are currently under investigation.”
The institution maintains that “these cases were initiated following official reports from law enforcement agencies and concern actions carried out in several localities in Romania.”
“None of these cases are related to public institutions in Sector 6. The leadership of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice requests that political authorities – in general and especially in the context of electoral periods – refrain from attempting to associate the institution of the Public Ministry with political interests,” the public prosecutor’s office added.
What Ciucu Had Said
Ciucu posted on Facebook Monday evening, stating that “at my initiative, the investigation that led to the public prosecutor’s office’s investigation concluding that nearly 300 oligarchs and Russian criminals illegally obtained Romanian identity documents!” was launched.
“Thus, I initiated the dismantling of an older network that operated at the national level. I learned about this situation after I replaced the former leadership of the Registration of Persons last year, and the new leadership brought some discrepancies regarding the civil status documents submitted to my attention,” Ciucu stated.
The mayor of Sector 6 said that the head of the Local Directorate for the Registration of Persons “reported the investigation authorities within the National Police,” following a directive he gave him “in December 2024.”
“In November 2024, I ordered civil status workers to fully verify the documents submitted by Moldovan, Ukrainian, and Russian citizens for the transcription of civil status acts following the acquisition of Romanian citizenship,” Ciucu added.
“It Seems I Initiated the Dismantling of a Network Over 10 Years Old”
Ciucu also argued that if he hadn’t drawn attention to the case, “it wouldn’t be known” about the situation.
“The investigation was extended to all registration structures in Bucharest, but also throughout the country. The problem is serious! It seems there is a well-organized network. If I hadn’t drawn attention to it, it wouldn’t be known! It seems I initiated the dismantling of a network over 10 years old,” the mayor concluded.
