Paul de Romania, who fled after a final conviction, was found in Malta. France has already refused his extradition

Paul de Romania, definitively sentenced to prison in the corruption case known as “Băneasa Farm”, was also located in a resort in Malta following the cooperation between the Romanian and Maltese police, official sources told G4Media. Romania is about to request his extradition, after a similar request was rejected by French justice.

Paul de Romania was prosecuted in December 2020 after he fled Romania before being definitively sentenced by the Supreme Court to 3 years and 4 months in prison in the case of the illegal return of the Royal Farm in Băneasa.

On June 27, 2022, he was caught on the street in Paris, and during the checks he presented a passport issued by the British authorities. In September, he was released from prison by a decision of the Paris Court of Appeal, being placed under judicial control.

In 2024, a court in France definitively refused to extradite fugitive Paul de Romania. Alina Gorghiu stated that the court of first instance in France rejected the extradition citing the illegal composition of the court panel from Romania. Specifically, the fact that one of the judges would not have taken the oath at the inauguration.

Paul de Romania, who recommends himself as “prince”, one of the famous fugitives, adopted a new strategy to escape from prison. He pleaded before the justice in Paris that one of the magistrates from the High Court panel would not have taken the oath 25 years ago.

According to G4Media information, the magistrate referred to by the fugitive’s lawyers is Ionuț Matei, a member of the panel that sentenced him.