Romanian Prince Arrested in Malta on Corruption Charges

Romanian Prince Paul-Philippe, 75, was arrested in Malta on a European Arrest Warrant for corruption related to illegal real estate restitution in Romania. The prince, who has British, French, and Romanian citizenship, was sentenced in 2020 to 3 years and 4 months in prison by a Romanian court for charges of influence peddling and complicity in abuse of office.

Prince Paul was convicted of working with a criminal gang between 2006 and 2013 to illegally recover properties he claimed as heir to the Romanian royal family, causing an estimated 145 million euros in damages to the state. The properties included the Băneasa Royal Farm near Bucharest. He sold off 80% of the rights to the recovered properties in the scheme that also involved Israeli businessman Benyamin Steinmetz.

The prince had previously evaded extradition from France in 2022. French courts refused to extradite him, ruling that he was at risk of political persecution and citing a decision by the Paris Court of Appeal that concluded the systematic failure of the Romanian justice system would breach Lambrino's rights. However, he was recently apprehended while visiting Malta for an event organized by the Knights of Malta.

Why this matters: The arrest of Prince Paul-Philippe highlights the ongoing efforts to combat high-level corruption in Romania and brings attention to the complex issues surrounding property restitution in the country. The case also underscores the challenges of extraditing individuals accused of corruption across European borders.

Lambrino's lawyer argued that the case against him was politically motivated and that the Romanian justice system was corrupt, referencing a report from Interpol. Despite these claims, the Maltese court denied Lambrino's request for bail, citing the serious nature of the charges against him. The prince objected to the extradition, pointing to the French courts' previous decision that declared the arrest warrant "nonsense". The case will be assigned to a different magistrate for a hearing on May 9.

Key Takeaways

• Romanian prince arrested in Malta on corruption charges in Romania
• Convicted of illegally recovering properties, causing €145M in damages
• Evaded extradition from France in 2022, but apprehended in Malta
• Highlights efforts to combat high-level corruption in Romania
• Extradition case to be heard on May 9, prince objects to warrant